Your Top Resource For Seniors
Your Top Resource For Elder Abuse & Neglect
Mental abuse in nursing homes is a serious issue that often goes unnoticed and unchecked. It can take many forms, such as verbal abuse, humiliation, intimidation, isolation, and manipulation. Victims of mental abuse may experience fear, anxiety, depression, and helplessness. In some cases, the elderly may even develop post-traumatic stress disorder due to the trauma they have experienced. If you or a loved one has experienced abuse in a nursing home, contacting an experienced lawyer can help.
Mental abuse is a form of psychological abuse of an elderly person that can be difficult to detect due to its subtlety. It involves the infliction of:
This abuse can cause the resident to feel helpless, depressed, sad, anxious, and fearful. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that mental abuse can lead to severe emotional damage and contribute to the decline of the victim's cognitive and physical health.
The consequences of emotional abuse in nursing homes have pushed many families to take legal action with the help of elder protection organizations, law enforcement, and attorneys.
There are various sorts of emotional abuse in nursing homes. Psychological abuse can occur when someone's words or actions negatively impact an older person's mental or emotional health.
Types of abuse may include:
Verbal abuse occurs when perpetrators use hostile or degrading language toward an elderly person. Calling someone names, insulting them, threatening them, or constantly criticizing them are all examples of verbal abuse.
A victim's sense of self-worth can be severely damaged by verbal abuse, leading to feelings of isolation, anxiety, and depression. Notifying nursing home employees or administration if you believe a loved one is being subjected to verbal abuse is crucial.
As with physical abuse, documenting occurrences of verbal abuse can assist in ensuring the safety of the victim in the future. Other forms of verbal harassment include:
Nursing home caregivers may be subject to various non-verbal forms of abuse, many of which intend to inflict pain or exert power over the recipient. The effects of non-verbal maltreatment are similar to verbal abuse, although it is typically more challenging to handle.
It is crucial to speak up and take action if you believe a loved one is a victim of non-verbal abuse in a nursing home.
The following forms of abuse don't include words:
Broken bones, bruises, and bleeding are common symptoms of physical abuse. Any resident is at risk of physical abuse, but those with dementia are more vulnerable.
Neglect in a nursing home occurs when caregivers do not give residents their medical attention. The resident's physical and mental health, therefore, deteriorates. Mistreatment in a nursing home is not the same as neglect. Nursing home neglect differs from abuse since it results from carelessness or apathy on the side of the nursing home employees.
Kinds of neglect that occur in nursing homes include:
Residents of a nursing home may rely on caregivers to take their medications. Caretakers can make blunders when administering medicines to patients, which may lead to potentially fatal complications.
The staff at a nursing home is responsible for the resident's hygiene, which includes assisting them in bathing and changing their clothes. A nursing home resident could get sick from wearing dirty garments for hours or days if staff members don't change them regularly.
There is a risk that residents of nursing homes will not receive adequate nourishment or hydration from staff personnel. Residents may have extreme weight loss, starvation, or dehydration.
Examples of non-verbal abuse that a person could experience:
It's crucial to check in with the person if you detect any of these signs and see if they're willing to talk about what's going on. You can still be helpful even if they are not ready to speak.
You can check in with the nursing home's employees to see if they have observed anything. You can report to Adult Protective Services or the police in your area to help stop the abuse of a helpless person from continuing.
Emotional elder abuse can be perpetrated by anyone, from loved ones to strangers in caregiving roles. Caretakers experiencing high-stress levels, individuals with a history of violence or abuse, and those with mental health disorders may be at a higher risk of committing emotional abuse in nursing homes.
Shockingly, some family members would intentionally hurt an older family member. Family members may take the role of taking care of their seniors. Abuse or neglect by a family member can destroy the whole family's mental health.
The quality of care provided to nursing home residents is largely determined by the decisions made by facility administrators. Unfortunately, administrators may become selfish and prioritize profits over senior care, which can lead to the hiring of low-quality employees, understaffing nursing facilities, and neglecting safety precautions.
Residents might also be victims of emotional or verbal abuse by administrative staff. Staff members may suppress information from concerned parties or take longer than necessary to respond to urgent issues.
Either at home with family or at a nursing facility, the elderly are vulnerable to mental abuse. The likelihood of abuse increases, for instance, if the caregiver is depressed, has money issues, or fights drug addiction. If the abuser has less medical training or works in a care facility with a staff shortage, these are also additional risk factors. These characteristics also increase the likelihood of emotional or mental abuse in nursing homes.
The vulnerability to psychological abuse at a nursing home also varies with the resident's age and general condition. Those residents who require more assistance from staff are more likely to be abuse victims.
The danger of abuse also rises when a resident has serious cognitive issues or memory loss.
Emotional abuse in nursing homes can have devastating, long-lasting effects. Some forms of severe emotional abuse may lead to early death. Anxiety brought on by stress increases the risk of slips, trips, falls, and other health problems. Some locals may experience crippling despair and isolate themselves from friends and relatives.
Some older people in the community may neglect their hygiene, stop taking their medications or even hurt themselves. An individual who undergoes such a drastic transformation can cause further medical complications or even death.
Taking your elderly loved one out of an unsafe nursing home or retirement community may be an option if you detect emotional abuse. In addition, counseling can help the victim of emotional abuse.
Removing vulnerable senior citizens from risky situations can be aided by reports of mental abuse in nursing homes.
Cases of elder emotional abuse can be reported to:
In extreme circumstances, such as when an older adult has been subjected to emotional and physical abuse, collaborating with the authorities may be the best action. Reporting abuse to the police can aid in prosecuting the perpetrators.
Choosing a new nursing home may be necessary if you suspect your loved one is being subjected to emotional abuse at their current one.
You can assist a loved one who is experiencing mental abuse in nursing homes by referring them to a psychiatrist or psychologist. If you don't help your family member, they may develop new problems like anxiety and depression, and their health concerns may worsen.
To prevent further abuse of the vulnerable, nursing facilities must be held accountable for the activities of their staff. There are things you may do to assist if you feel a loved one is a victim of mental abuse in nursing homes. An attorney can assist in initiating a facility investigation, gathering necessary medical documents, interviewing patients and employees, and preparing a case for trial. They can also provide suggestions on who to contact at government agencies and how to safeguard your family.
Our expert partner attorneys offer free consultations for your claim.
