Columbia Nursing Home Psychological Abuse Attorneys
Not all signs of nursing home abuse or neglect are visible to the naked eye. Some scars are beneath the surface. When a nursing home worker or physician emotionally or psychologically abuses a resident, the consequences can be detrimental to your loved one’s health.
The Columbia nursing home psychological abuse attorneys at Goings Law Firm, LLC are here to protect vulnerable nursing home residents and to help you take legal action against a nursing home facility or employee who’s psychologically abused your loved one.
Emotional health is important at any age, but especially for older adults who have recently moved out of their homes and into a long-term care facility like a nursing home. After a series of monumental changes in their lives, nursing home residents need an environment where they feel safe, both physically and emotionally.
Sadly, the National Center for Elder Abuse (NCEA) estimates that 10 percent of all elderly people suffer some level of abuse from a caregiver. When nursing home staff members psychologically abuse residents or when nursing home facilities fail to fire or take legal measures against workers who they know are abusing residents, they need to be held accountable.
If your loved one is acting differently or seems to be emotionally withdrawn, they may be victims of emotional abuse. If you suspect your loved one is being emotionally or psychologically abused by nursing home staff members, then you need to take action right away.
The Columbia nursing home psychological abuse attorneys at Goings Law Firm, LLC have decades of experience fighting for victims and their families. They will not rest until your loved one is safe and they receive the financial compensation they deserve. To schedule a free consultation and learn more about your legal options moving forward, contact us today by calling (803) 350-9230 or completing our online form.
Types of Psychological Abuse
The NCEA defines emotional abuse as “pointedly cruel, ongoing assault” through verbal and nonverbal acts. Underestimating the long-term damage resulting from psychological abuse and trauma can have serious consequences on your loved one’s quality of life. No one deserves to be emotionally abused, especially nursing home residents who are already vulnerable and easy to take advantage of. Additionally, nursing home residents don’t always speak up or tell loved ones about the abuse out of fear of retaliation or embarrassment.
It can be challenging to identify victims of emotional abuse, especially at nursing homes. One common tactic that abusers employ is to isolate their victims from family, friends, other staff members, and even from information.
This decreased interaction with other nursing home staff and residents means emotional abuse can continue for weeks, months, or even years without detection from people in close proximity to the victim.
When abusive nursing home staff members use their words and actions to intentionally harm nursing home residents, they need to be held accountable. Our team of compassionate nursing home psychological abuse attorneys are experienced in handling a variety of nursing home neglect cases that include:
- Verbal harassment and abuse
- Intentional disrespect toward the victim’s culture or religion
- Denigration of the victim’s decision-making capability
- Deliberate isolation
- Threats of violence against the victim or the victim’s loved ones
- Damage to the victim’s personal property
- Intentional blame of victim for accidents or inaccurate claim that they have dementia when they speak up
- Intimidation
- Direct and indirect humiliation alone or in front of other residents
- Inappropriate sexual comments
In some cases, a nursing home resident can be emotionally scarred or develop anxiety over physical symptoms like bed sores or ulcers that develop because of neglect. Knowing whether or not your loved one is psychologically cared for can be difficult to detect.
Signs of Nursing Home Psychological Abuse
Unlike physical injuries, emotional abuse isn’t always noticeable through outward symptoms. However, there are some symptoms or signs of psychological abuse that you and your family should be on the lookout for. This is especially important since many cases of emotional abuse go unreported.
Some of the most common symptoms of emotional abuse include:
- Sudden quietness or hesitancy to speak even around friends and family
- Unexplained withdrawal
- Odd reactions or visible discomfort around certain people
- Acting afraid around certain caretakers and employees
- Loss of confidence in their own decision-making abilities
- Trouble sleeping or eating
- Difficulty concentrating
- No longer enjoying activities they previously loved
- Increased alcohol or drug use
- Suicidal thoughts
If you suspect your loved one is suffering from psychological abuse, report it to the nursing home administrator immediately. While some nursing home administrators will take the suspicion seriously and investigate the claim, the sad truth is that many will put their facility or a staff member ahead of a resident’s health and safety.
That’s why you need to take further action by contacting a nursing home psychological abuse attorney who specializes in these types of cases, so they can begin an independent investigation and help obtain compensation for losses and expenses related to the abuse.
Contact Goings Law Firm, LLC Today
At Goings Law Firm, LLC, we are fully committed to seeking justice for elderly people who have been victims of nursing home psychological abuse. We want to hear your story and help you build a case against the negligent nursing home and/or nursing home employee. While their new home may be a room at a nursing home instead of a house, your elderly loved one should feel safe at all times.
Elderly adults in South Carolina are protected by the Omnibus Adult Protection Act. Despite these protections, the state repeatedly ranks last among all states in terms of protecting senior citizens, including those living in nursing homes.
That’s why you need someone else looking out for your loved one’s well-being. If your parent or grandparent is being psychologically abused, they are no longer safe and need to be removed as soon as possible while our team of experienced and qualified professionals sort out the legal ramifications.
Take the first step and learn more about your legal rights moving forward today by calling Goings Law Firm, LLC at (803) 350-9230 to schedule a free consultation.
