Increase in claims of elder abuse fuels further study by B.C.'s advocate for seniors

BC's seniors advocate has started a separate review into elder abuse in the province after finding an increase in the problem in her annual review.

Isobel Mackenzie's report says calls to the seniors abuse and information line saw a 17 per cent increase.

But her report also says it's unclear how big the problem is because they don't have the proper tools to measure abuse or neglect of seniors, prompting her further review with a report due next year.

She says the RCMP reports that almost 1,700 seniors experienced a violent event last year and 19-thousand reported property crimes such as theft or vandalism.