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Emotional abuse of nursing home residents is atrocious

On Behalf of | Jan 3, 2020 | Elder Abuse |

Abuse of elderly individuals shouldn’t ever happen. They have lived long lives and deserve to be able to enjoy their final years in peace, especially if they have moved into a long-term care facility. The staff members at these homes should be ready to do what they can to ensure that the residents are getting the care they need. Unfortunately, residents are sometimes abused or neglected.

One form of elder abuse that isn’t often talked about is emotional abuse. This doesn’t come with physical marks, so seeing the signs is a bit more complex; however, this form of abuse is just as damaging to the resident as physical abuse. It might even be more difficult for the resident to overcome emotional abuse.

Nursing home staff members aren’t the only individuals who can emotionally abuse the elderly. Anyone who comes into contact with them can do this. There are several forms of emotional abuse that might occur.

The abuser might ignore the resident or isolate them from their friends. They might blame them for things they didn’t do. Humiliation, yelling and threatening them are also forms of this type of abuse. All of these can cause the victim to feel distressed, which can impact them in various aspects of their life.

Visitors to the nursing facility might be able to spot emotional abuse by paying attention to the resident’s behavior. If they seem sad or aren’t usually around other people, there might be a problem. Sometimes, staff members will hover over the residents to try to monitor what’s being said. These are signs that something is amiss and needs to be addressed.

Stopping any form of abuse, including emotional, is a priority. Residents who have suffered harm at the hands of staff members might opt to pursue legal action.

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