Southern California Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog
For anyone with a loved one in a Riverside County nursing home or assisted living facility, it is important to make sure that the facility is providing proper care to your elderly parent or relative. Discussions about nursing home abuse and neglect and red flags associated with mistreatment can be more than disconcerting to hear about from friends or family members or to read about in news stories. You may know how important it is to look for signs of nursing home abuse or neglect whenever you visit your loved one, including signs of physical harm like cuts, bruises, or burns, as well as physical indicators of negligence such as bed sores or broken bones. But how can you determine whether nursing home abuse is happening when there are no physical signs?
Emotional and psychological abuse is one common type of abuse that occurs in nursing home settings, and signs of it may not always be obvious. Among nursing home residents with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, as well as other forms of cognitive impairment, psychological abuse may be particularly difficult to uncover. Our Riverside County nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers can tell you more.
Understanding Psychological and Emotional Abuse in Nursing Homes
Psychological and emotional elder abuse is a form of abuse that is common in nursing homes. According to the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), psychological or emotional abuse is best defined as “the infliction of anguish, pain, or distress through verbal or nonverbal acts including, but not limited to, verbal assaults, insults, threats, intimidation, humiliation, isolation, and harassment.”
Signs of Emotional and Psychological Abuse
As we mentioned, signs of emotional and psychological abuse may not be as obvious or as overtly linked to abuse as signs associated with other forms of elder mistreatment. To be sure, emotional and psychological abuse does not produce broken bones, burn marks, or bleeding. Instead, the signs tend to be evident in a senior’s behavior or emotional state. According to the US Department of Justice, the following are signs that may indicate a senior is being emotionally or psychologically abused:
- Report of emotional or psychological abuse from an older adult, or report of any behavior that suggests an intent to embarrass, threaten, scare, or humiliate;
- Being upset or agitated without a clear cause;
- Becoming withdrawn, or losing interest in regular activities;
- Becoming non-communicative or even non-responsive;
- Rocking behaviors;
- Sucking or biting behaviors;
- Sleeping pattern change;
- Change in eating habits; and/or
- Showing any unusual or unexplained behaviors.
Contact a Riverside County Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Attorney
If you have any concerns at all about any type of nursing home abuse or neglect, it is best to seek advice from a lawyer who can help. As we have discussed, some types of abuse can be more difficult to spot than others, so it is critical to seek advice when any worries arise. One of the experienced Riverside County nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys at our firm can speak with you today. Contact the Walton Law Firm for help with nursing home abuse signs in Southern California.
See Related Blog Posts:
Recognizing Elder Abuse During the Holiday Season
Who is Liable for a Choking Injury or Death in a Nursing Home?
