It took time to come up with a definition of elder abuse, and it came in 2002 as part of the World Health Organization's work in Canada, in the Toronto Declaration on the Global Prevention of Elder Abuse.
The declaration defines elder abuse as "a single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person”.
This definition is highly theoretical. What we can draw from it is that it's a matter of violence and negligence. But the key factor in this widely debated definition is the whole issue of the trust relationship, because it excludes all kinds of victimization in instances where seniors and the people involved do not know one another, or are not in a place of trust.
I can assure you that when we speak about places of trust, we go beyond the family sphere. My view is that care providers are definitely included. For example, seniors should trust those providing them with home care.