Northern California Nursing Home Elder Emotional Abuse Attorneys
Nursing Home Elder Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse is defined as controlling and suppressing an individual through the use of verbal and non-verbal actions such as fear, humiliation, guilt, insults, threats, manipulation, intimidation, isolation and harassment. When a nursing home resident is subjected to elder emotional abuse, the results can be devastating. The resident’s emotional well-being is put at risk, affecting their quality of life, which could possibly contribute to an early death from declining health or even suicide. The northern California elder abuse lawyers at Estey Bomberger can aid in a thorough investigation of the suspected emotional abuse and determine who is responsible for the abuse, whether it is a caregiver or an employee or staff member at the nursing home facility.
Types of Emotional Abuse
The many tactics that an abuser may use to manipulate and control an elderly nursing home resident or long term care facility patient include:
Humiliation – the abuser may insult, shame, or name-call to make a resident feel guilty.
Isolation – the abuser may cut the resident off from seeing friends and family to increase the resident’s dependence on them.
Threats – the abuser may threaten to hurt or kill the resident or one of their family members.
Intimidation –the abuser, to scare the resident into submission uses intimidating tactics such as threatening gestures or smashing items.
Dominance – for the abuser to control the relationship they will often make decisions on behalf of the resident, expecting them to obey without any resistance.
Blame and denial – the abuser will blame their behavior on a bad day or even deny their actions. Often, the abuser will try to shift responsibility for the emotional abuse onto the resident.
Signs & Symptoms of Nursing Home Elder Emotional Abuse
Nursing home elder emotional abuse accounts for 36% of all cases of nursing home abuse. If you suspect that a caregiver is emotionally abusing a family member or loved one, it is vital that you learn the signs and symptoms of elder emotional abuse. With emotional abuse there may be no physical signs of abuse, which makes it harder to detect. The signs and symptoms of elder emotional abuse include but are not limited to:
- Exhibiting fear, especially around certain individuals
- Anxiety
- Depression or sadness
- Withdrawal, agitation and apathy
- Abnormal behavioral changes such as biting, rocking or sucking
- Changes in personality
- The resident reports that they are being emotionally abused.
Risk Factors for Nursing Home Elder Emotional Abuse
The more a nursing home resident relies on the care of the staff, the greater the risk of elder emotional abuse occurring. The age, sex, social environment, and mental and physical state of the resident are all contributing factors for emotional abuse occurring. According to the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), residents over the age of 80 are more than 46 percent more likely to be abused. The NCEA also shows that the sex of a resident is a risk factor for abuse; female residents are abused 56 percent more than male residents. Nursing home residents that suffer from mental disorders or pre-existing medical conditions may not be completely aware or cognoscente of the abuse, making it easier for the caregiver to continue the abuse. The more a nursing home resident relies on the care of the staff, the greater the risk of elder emotional abuse occurring, especially if the resident is socially isolated. Also, the personal situation of the caregiver is important to note. Stress, mental illness or insufficient training can contribute to a caregiver lashing out on a resident.
Recovering Compensation for Elder Emotional Abuse
At the northern California nursing home abuse law firm of Estey Bomberger we have lawyers skilled in handling elder emotional abuse cases. With the help of our attorneys you may be able to recover compensation for your loved one’s pain and suffering due to emotional abuse and prevent further acts of emotional abuse from occurring in the future. We understand what it’s like to see a loved one suffer, and aggressively fight to protect the rights of innocent nursing home residents. Contact us today and one of our northern California nursing home abuse lawyers can help you understand and protect your legal rights. Our lawyers are available day and night at (800) 890- 6722 to discuss your potential case and answer your questions.