Louisville Nursing Home Psychological Abuse Attorney Ready To Assist You
Kentucky nursing home abuse can consist of much more than physical harm. In fact, physical abuse in adult care facilities is often paired with emotional or psychological abuse.
Kentucky nursing home residents must be treated with dignity and respect, according to both Kentucky and federal law. These laws require residents to be free from any psychological or emotional abuse at the hands of nursing home or long-term acute care facility staff members. Unfortunately, these laws are often violated, causing residents significant harm, from anxiety and depression to post-traumatic stress disorder. Sadly, elderly residents are often defenseless, and family members have no idea what is occurring before and after their visits.
If your senior loved one has been the victim of elder psychological abuse, he or she may be entitled to compensation under the law – and the facility that was responsible for the abuse should suffer consequences. To consult with an experienced Louisville nursing home psychological abuse attorney, please call Seth Gladstein today.
Types of Psychological Abuse That Occur in Kentucky Nursing Homes
- Isolation. To punish a resident, staff members may refuse to let him or her see family members and/or other residents. Additionally, a staff member may refuse to talk to a resident, ignoring him or her as punishment. Finally, a resident may be physically constrained or locked in a room for hours or days at a time.
- Threats. Verbal threats may occur when staff members are attempting to get residents to cooperate – or even for no reason at all. A staff member may threaten to stop family visits, to engage in violence, or to isolate a patient.
- Emotional Manipulation. Many nursing home and long-term acute care facility residents lack confidence or have low self-esteem. They rely on others to provide their daily needs, and many of them are lonely and discouraged. Unethical staff members can take advantage of this by telling residents their no one at the home really cares for their well-being, or by telling them that family members don’t come to visit because they are unlikable. This type of manipulation can have serious effects on the mental and physical well-being of residents.
- Verbal Degradation. Unfortunately, this is quite common in nursing facilities. Residents are often on the receiving end of staff screaming and yelling. While it’s true that long-term facilities offer their own set of complexities and stressful situations, no resident should be yelled at for any reason. Staff members may also ridicule residents.
Contact Gladstein Law Firm today online or by calling us directly.
Why Does Nursing Home Psychological Abuse Occur?
Most, if not all, of psychological abuse is tied to poor decisions made by the facility, whether it is shoddy staff training, inadequate background checks, or poor staff working conditions. Put simply, when nursing facilities attempt to save money by not properly caring for their employees, the residents suffer.
The most common underlying reasons for elder home psychological abuse include:
- Employees are hired without adequate background checks.
- Employees are hired who have a history of nursing home abuse.
- Employees are not supervised properly.
- Employees are not properly trained.
- There are not enough employees to take care of the residents.
Just because employees are not properly trained, or just because employees are overwhelmed at work are in no way excuses for verbal abuse or emotional abuse. In fact, there are no excuses for those types of behavior – they are simply illegal.
Signs of Nursing Home Emotional Abuse
Signs of psychological abuse can be much more subtle than signs of physical abuse. Look for the following red flags:
- Your elder loved one has a drastic personality or behavioral change.
- Your elder loved one has a change in eating or sleeping patterns.
- Your elder loved one is avoiding eye contact or not speaking with you.
- Your elder loved one seems withdrawn, or even scared.
- Your elder loved one suddenly begins suffering from mood swings.
- A nursing home staff member does not leave the room while you are visiting.
- Staff members seems to be making all decisions for your loved one.
It is also important to note that victims of physical abuse are also often victims of emotional abuse.
Contact a Louisville Nursing Home Psychological Abuse Lawyer
At Gladstein Law, we are dedicated to helping the victims of nursing home psychological abuse and their families. Attorney Seth Gladstein has the experience, knowledge, and assertiveness to get to the bottom of your case and get your elder loved one the justice and compensation that he or she deserves. We offer free, private consultations. To schedule yours, or simply to ask a question about elder abuse, please call us today at 502-791-9000. You may also fill out our quick contact form.
Let’s stop elder abuse together. Let our lawyer Seth Gladstein help.
