The number of confirmed cases of abuse of the elderly by caregivers at nursing facilities hit a record high of 300 in fiscal 2014 and nearly doubled from 2012, government data showed Friday, another headache for the increasingly graying country.

Including abuses by relatives, the total number of cases of abuse of the elderly rose to 16,039 from 15,952 a year earlier, and 25 people died as a result of such abuse, four more than in the previous year, according to the annual survey by the welfare ministry.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government is seeking to create new homes to accommodate 500,000 elderly to reduce the number of people who have to leave their jobs to take care of family members.