What Is Emotional Abuse In Nursing Homes?

Sadly, nursing home abuse takes many forms. While many people first think of physical abuse, such as hitting, kicking, and pushing, there are other types, as well. One of the most common forms of abuse in Florida nursing homes is emotional abuse. Unlike physical abuse, emotional abuse will not leave any visible marks or injuries. That does not mean though, that this type of abuse does not severely impact victims. Residents who are victims of emotional abuse will carry the scars around with them for years and sometimes, for the rest of their life.

Understanding Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse in nursing homes occurs when a resident suffers harm after being the victim of yelling, insults, and verbal harassment. Emotional abuse is sometimes called psychological abuse. According to a recent study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO), almost one out of every three nursing home staff members stated that they had psychologically abused their residents. Sixty-seven percent of emotional abuse victims are women. Emotional abuse is always devastating, and the health impacts on an elderly person can be long-lasting.

Types of Emotional Abuse

Emotional elder abuse takes many forms. These may include:

• Verbal harassment: Verbal harassment occurs when nursing home staff members belittle residents, bully them, or yell at them.
• Psychological torment: This form of emotional abuse occurs when caregivers manipulate elders by blaming them for problems that are not their fault, or by threatening them.
• Isolation: Staff members in a nursing home may try to isolate elders from social activities, family members, and friends. This can lead to mental health issues, such as depression.

Who is at Risk for Emotional Nursing Home Abuse?

Anyone living in a nursing home may experience emotional abuse from staff members at some point. However, there are some residents that are more at risk than others. These include individuals who:

• Are separated or divorced from a spouse
• Have pre-existing physical or mental impairments
• Live in a lower-income facility

What are the Impacts of Emotional Abuse?

Emotional abuse has many negative impacts for victims. The most common of these are as follows:

• Deteriorating physical health
• Anxiety
• Low self-esteem
• Depression
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Loneliness and social isolation

Although the above injuries are not visible, they are still very harmful for victims of emotional abuse. If your loved one has been impacted by emotional abuse, you can file a lawsuit against the facility or the staff member to recover damages your loved one sustained. Through a lawsuit, you can recover damages such as the cost of therapy your loved one now has to undergo, pain and suffering, and more.

Call Our Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer in Tampa Today

If you believe your loved one has been the victim of abuse, our Tampa nursing home abuse lawyer at Kohn Law can help you hold the facility accountable. We are dedicated to helping families recover the damages they deserve, and we will put our experience to work for you. Call us today at 813-428-8504 or contact us online to request a free consultation.

Resource:

who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/elder-abuse