LEWISTON – Alice was 75 when her son began sharing her small apartment. Frank, 54, was an alcoholic and addicted to drugs.

When she confronted him about his drinking, he verbally abused her and sent her to her room. The next time she mentioned it, he became enraged, raised his fists and rushed at her. She fled to a neighbor’s home.

The neighbor called police, who removed Frank from the apartment and got a court order for him to stay away. He was ordered into programs for substance abuse and domestic violence.

True story, Maine Attorney General Steven Rowe told a roomful of service professionals Tuesday at the Hillview Resource Center. The morning conference was sponsored by local people and organizations.

That’s one example of elder abuse. There are others, Rowe said.

There’s the story of Robert, 86, who lived downstairs from his granddaughter. His poor eyesight and arthritic knees kept him confined to his home.

Carol, 24, began shopping for him and going to his bank. Soon, she was secretly helping herself to his pension and Social Security checks in exchange for her services.

More money went missing until Robert’s grandson, Tom, visited. He noticed money was regularly withdrawn from his grandfather’s accounts. With the help of the bank and police, they traced the missing money back to Carol.

She was arrested on a charge of felony theft.

These are stories of known elder abuse. Many go unnoticed, Rowe said. Worse, they are suspected, but go unreported.

More than three-quarters of an estimated 12,000 incidents of elder abuse in Maine are never reported, Rowe said. The victim often won’t report abuse for fear of being institutionalized or abandoned or that it might result in the arrest of the caregiver. The victims often still love the people who abuse them.

Elder abuse is a “hidden” problem in Maine, he said. One out of 10 elders lives in an abusive situation or in one that may lead to abuse.

In as many as 80 percent of elder-abuse cases, the abuser is a family member, most often the victim’s grown children.

Abuse includes:

• hitting or slapping;

• withholding food or medication;

• yelling or insulting language;

• theft;

• misuse of funds;

• confinement; and

• threat of violence.

The abuse can be physical, emotional or psychological, or a combination, Rowe said. In all cases, the victim lacks power and control. The victims often suffer debilitating medical conditions.

Sometimes elders are simply neglected, isolated.

Elders are at highest risk for suicide, said Ricker Hamilton, protective program administrator at the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. Abused elders die at three times the rate of those who are not abused because of the stress. “They give up,” he said.

Hamilton told the group that if they know what to look for and report it, “You will save someone’s life.”

The solution, both Rowe and Hamilton said, is greater awareness.

Not only do professionals who work with the elderly need to spot signs of abuse, but neighbors and family members also must learn what the red flags are, they said.

If an elder changes his routine or shows signs of injury, it’s important to ask about it. A call to an agency such as Adult Protective Services in Augusta can trigger an investigation, Hamilton said.

Legislation such as the proposed Elder Justice Act is needed to provide federal money for state agencies that handle reports of elder abuse, Hamilton said.

Patrick Moynihan, a caseworker supervisor at the Office of Elder Services, said his agency has only three people to investigate calls from four counties.