There are many different reasons. Every case is unique, with different facts. Some factors that have been identified include

• a history of abuse between family members, for example, spousal abuse becomes elder abuse, or abused children become abused caregivers to elderly parents;
• dependency, for example, the elderly person becomes dependent on family members, or someone is dependent upon the elderly person for money or housing;
• stress might be caused by a number of factors such as mental or physical illness, financial pressures, lack of support systems, lack of choice for accommodation for an elderly person, or fear of one's own aging;
• alcohol or drug use;
• greed;
• lack of knowledge about the degree of care and needs of an elderly person;
• lack of respect given to elderly people in a society that values youth, self-reliance, and energy;
• lack of professional awareness about the problem of elder abuse, so that it might continue undetected.