現今老人福利研究多偏重於老人安療養服務或老人社區長期照護制度建立爲主軸，而所謂「高危險群」的受虐老人之問題卻相對地乏人問津；此外，在家庭暴力防治工作中老人保護所獲得的重視亦遠不如兒童及婦女保護工作。基於對過去有關老人保護服務研究多側重於政策之討論或理論之論述，鮮少能就現有實際基礎性資料與實證性研究來探討目前台灣老人虐待與疏忽之定義、類型與受虐風險，並從老人虐待之範固與指標作爲後續服務與預防方案之重要依據。因此，本文針對台灣目前社區中老人虐待議題與老人受虐風險檢測之分析研究，透過虐待風險檢測工具(screening instrument)之篩梭，以實證資料之調查突顯出老人受虐問題的嚴重程度，希望藉此不僅加強老人保護相關機構之服務規劃並切合服務需求，更能喚起老人服務領域專家與社會各界對於台灣老人虐待問題的重視與認知。最後，本文就老人保護議題在研究面、實務面與政策面上的意涵，進行更進一步的討論。

It is relatively lacking of attention on the elder abuse issues than on the issues of long term care for elderly and community caring system development in the welfare system for the old. Besides, there is more focusing on the issues of child and women protection than elder protection in the Family Violence Prevention systems. However, there is a need of empirical research to provide a solid foundation of definitions, types, and screening instruments of elderly abuse. In addition, to solve the elderly abuse problem drawing from the study of elderly abuse risk factors and indicators is the better way to provide future treatment and prevention networks. The aim of this study is to identify the current risk of elder abuse in Taiwan, and by using a solid elder abuse screening instrument to provide critical information about this issue. It is our hope that this article could raise awareness of elder abuse to related professionals and the society as a whole. Finally, the implications for research, practice and policy of elder abuse were discussed.