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Large surveys of the general population's perceptions of the neglect and mistreatment of older people are few. This article provides evidence about the public's awareness of 'elder abuse' at a time of considerable media and political interest in the subject in many countries. It presents the findings of a survey of l,000 adults' knowledge of the neglect and mistreatment of older people in the UK. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were used to examine: variations in the perception of the existence of neglect or mistreatment of older people, the perceived relative prevalence of knowing ah older person who had been subject to such experiences, the type and place of such experiences and knowledge of sources of help in such circumstances. The key findings are that older people believed that there is less neglect and mistreatment of older people than younger people, that women perceived more than men, and that there were regional variations in these perceptions. One-quarter said they knew an older person who had experienced neglect or mistreatment, and such reports were most likely among the middle aged and women. The most frequently reported locations of abuse were care homes and hospitals, and the most commonly reported form was inadequate or insufficient personal care. Most people said they would contact social services or paid carers if they encountered neglect or mistreatment. The findings are discussed in the light of increased policy attention to the safeguarding of vulnerable adults, and the implications for research, practice and campaigning organisations are considered. KEY WORDS--elder abuse, neglect, mistreatment, public perception, attitudes.

The qualitative study described in this paper explores later life spousal bereavement as a spatialised experience. It draws on interviews with 20 older widowed people who were living alone, half in owner-occupied accommodation and half in sheltered housing. Moving beyond the older adult's `inner' world of grief, it examines changes in the use and meaning of both public and domestic space in order to provide an holistic, culturally-located analysis. The following themes are identified as important: the type of housing, interviewees' spatialised social relationships, the experience of spousal caregiving prior to bereavement and the ongoing relationship between the living and the dead partner. KEY WORDS -- home, space, bereavement, later life, gender, memory, relationships with the dead.