Guidelines For Detecting Emotional Nursing Home Abuse

Emotional nursing home abuse, also known as mental or psychological abuse, is a major cause for concern because it is difficult to detect and can leave residents mentally disturbed. Victims of emotional abuse in nursing homes may be reluctant to report the abuse they are experiencing out of fear that it will worsen.

Senior citizens have a right to be treated with respect, dignity, and compassion while they are living in nursing homes. Unfortunately, these rights are violated when elder care facility employees emotionally abuse residents. Emotional nursing home abuse can take the form of any act that results in suffering, anguish, emotional distress, or psychological disturbances in residents. When staff members engage in verbally and emotionally abusive behavior, such as humiliation, harassment, threats, deprivation, intimidation, manipulation, and degradation, nursing home residents suffer greatly. Involuntary isolation and unwarranted restriction of activities also can also qualify as emotional abuse.

Although the signs of emotional abuse in nursing homes may be less obvious then those of physical abuse, there are still some symptoms that family members and friends of elderly victims should be aware of. Victims of emotional elder abuse may show signs of depression, anxiety, disorientation, constant agitation, sudden dementia, and confusion. Bouts of insomnia, mood swings, and low self-esteem may also serve as indicators of emotional abuse. Unusual behaviors (such as rocking, sucking, or biting) or a sudden shift to a non-communicative, withdrawn demeanor are additional signs of emotional abuse in nursing homes.

Emotional nursing home abuse may occur as a result of a number of factors. A nursing home's failure to conduct thorough background investigations on staff members may allow an individual with a history of mental abuse to become an employee of the facility and victimize the residents. When staff members are improperly supervised or insufficiently trained, there is a higher potential for abuse of residents to occur. If an elder care facility is understaffed, the existing employees will be put under an increased amount of pressure and may take out their frustration and stress on the residents by emotionally abusing them.

If you suspect that your loved one is being mistreated while in the care of a nursing home or elder care facility, you should immediately report the problem to the facility's administrator. In addition, file a complaint with the department in your state that regulates nursing homes and seek the help of a qualified nursing home abuse attorney.