Many local authorities are creating lists of older people in danger, similar to those for vulnerable children, because of growing concerns and evidence of maltreatment by relatives, professionals and friends.

Experts say the cases reported to councils are just the “tip of the iceberg” and that the actual abuse figures are far higher and growing.

New figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act reveal at least 190 people aged 65 or older are on such “at risk” lists or have been referred to adult protection committees.

Some had been referred because of sexual abuse or physical assaults, but the majority had suffered “financial abuse” -- having money stolen by relatives or unscrupulous trades people.

The news follows revelations in The Herald that Scotland’s older people are suffering record levels of abuse, with hundreds of complaints against care homes and services provided to those still at home.

Alexis Jay, head of the Social Work Inspection Agency, said: “We are now in a position with elder abuse which we were in with child abuse some 25 years ago.”

She added: “There is a strong message coming from older people themselves about how they feel invisible in the system and how they hate being talked about as one homogenous group rather than as individuals.”

East Lothian’s list has increased from three in 2003 to 45 last year. Perth and Kinross has 24 elderly people “at risk” compared to three in 2005. East Renfrewshire has had 49 referrals of adults over 60 “at risk” in the past year and is now considering creating a specific register.

Only half of Scotland’s councils were able to give exact figures and others were unable to provide the information, so the total figure is expected to be far higher.

Ann Ferguson, of Age Concern and Help the Aged in Scotland, said: “When we spoke to older people ourselves we found they had a lot of difficulty reporting abuse because of the poor responses they got.

“We also found strong parallels with domestic abuse in that the abuse itself stripped away people’s self esteem so they didn’t have the confidence to report it or ask for help. Many of the older people we spoke to believed that mistreatment was just an unavoidable consequence of growing older”

An official at West Lothian said: “There is no doubt that there has been a gradual increase in the level and complexity of referrals regarding abuse/harm to older people in the last five years.”