Exploring the intersection of mate crime, loneliness and isolation in older people living in the community

Mate crime is a form of abuse perpetrated by individuals known to the person concerned. In incidents of mate crime, the perpetrators purposely befriend a situationally vulnerable person with a specific intention of exploiting them. Older adults living in the community, particularly those who are isolated and/or experiencing loneliness, are at risk of this form of abuse. Community nurses have an important role in identifying and preventing mate crime and instigating interventions to address it, by working with the person concerned and escalating concerns through safeguarding frameworks and policies. This article provides an overview of mate crime and discusses how it intersects with loneliness and isolation in older people living in the community. The authors use a fictitious case study to illustrate mate crime and describe the role of the community nurse in identifying and preventing this type of abuse.