Emotional abuse of nursing home residents: not every case of nursing home abuse makes a physical mark. Psychological maltreatment is among the most challenging and most common types of nursing home abuse to detect. It frequently goes unreported, and individuals may have a tendency to ignore it, even when seen firsthand. What this means is that it’s up to you and your attorney to fight for the psychological well being of your loved one.
If you find evidence that a relative or loved one in a nursing home is the victim of psychological abuse, call the Columbia nursing home abuse attorneys at The Jeffcoat Firm immediately.
WHAT IS EMOTIONAL ABUSE?
Mental or psychological abuse is typically defined as acting in manner to cause emotional distress and suffering to a nursing home patient. When your nearest and dearest endure psychological maltreatment from the physicians or staff at a nursing home, they tend to feel stressed, depressed or scared.
Some cases of mental or mental maltreatment:
- Intimidating a patient
- Threatening a patient with violence
- Yelling at a patient
- Causing a patient to feel emotional anguish
- Being disrespectful or criticizing a patient
- Isolating a patient from family or fellow residents
- Neglecting a patient’s needs
- Attempting to withhold medication, food, or other necessities
When confronted with signs of psychological maltreatment, a staff member might attempt to describe his or her actions by saying that such conduct is crucial to keep the patient calm, or the patient cannot be harmed because they don’t understand what’s happening. Don’t accept these explanations. Psychological maltreatment can cause real physical and mental anguish, and is unnecessary.
HINTS OF MENTAL MALTREATMENT
Nursing home abuse is astonishingly common Residents have limited contact with the outside world, and staff at a nursing home have a great deal of power over the residents. This gives them lots of chance to make the most of their power, and it’s up to you to see the signals before it’s too late.
Your loved one may be showing signs of mental or psychological maltreatment if they’re:
- Acting depressed or removed
- Refusing to speak or socialize
- Easily agitated, with surprising mood swings
- Looking fearful of you, attendants, or others
- Showing uncommon and compulsive behaviors
- Neglecting to eat or sleep consistently
- Refusing to take drugs
- Losing weight
You should contact an attorney when possible if you find a couple of these hints.
SEE A NURSING HOME EMOTIONAL ABUSE ATTORNEY NOW
The Columbia nursing home abuse lawyers at The Jeffcoat Firm know the signs of emotional abuse, and may be able to help you prove your case. The elderly are among the most vulnerable members of society, and if you want to protect your family member or loved one, you need the skill and experience of our legal team on your side.
To contact the Columbia & Lexington nursing home abuse lawyers at The Jeffcoat Firm, fill out a form on this web page.