If you are concerned about the welfare of a loved one in a nursing home setting, seeking advice from a Lyons verbal or emotional abuse lawyer can be a sensible idea. For example, you may be noticing a sudden change in their personality, behavior, or health that the nursing staff cannot or will not explain.
Older people deserve to be safe from harm by their caretakers and treated with respect and dignity as a fundamental human right. Elderly abuse can cause permanent damage, often with serious psychological consequences, and is an alarming public health and criminal justice concern. Studies indicate higher fatalities in older people who suffered abuse, citing they are twice more likely to pass away sooner than people who are not abused.
A verbal or emotional abuse lawyer can inform you about the best course of action required to protect your family member. Call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today for answers.
Verbal and Emotional Elder Abuse in Nursing Homes Is Nationwide
Verbal and emotional abuse is a form of harm caused by a perpetrator that results in anguish, mental pain, fear, and distress to the victim. Abusers cause suffering to their victims through:
- Humiliation
- Blame
- Ridicule
- Intimidation
- Isolation
- Terror
- Shouting
- Ignoring
- Threats
Such abuse can be perpetrated by anyone who the resident is dependent on for their care. Often victims are unable to speak up about the abuse due to health conditions that lead to physical or mental incapacity or from the effects of some medications. In many cases, the victim is too afraid to seek help, so many cases go unreported.
Signs of Verbal and Emotional Abuse
According to the CDC, there are sure signs you can look out for and certain behaviors an older person may display if they are verbally or emotionally abused including:
- Your loved one becoming depressed or withdrawn
- Avoiding eye contact
- Changes in eating or sleeping patterns
- Aggression towards themselves or others
- Acute mood swings
- Not being left alone by certain caregivers when you visit
- Showing anxiety around particular caregivers
If you suspect verbal or emotional abuse is happening, you can and should report it to the Adult Protective Services. You are also encouraged to contact the police.
It may be necessary to file a lawsuit against the nursing home or caregiver for your loved one to be compensated for the harm they suffered. Although it cannot undo the damage, compensation can help with costs incurred for pain and suffering, emotional distress, and medical and rehabilitative costs.
The team at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm wants to help you see your loved one relocated to a safe living environment, receiving the care, dignity, and respect they deserve. Call for a free case evaluation and find out what you can do to protect your loved one today.
For a free legal consultation with a Verbal or Emotional Abuse Lawyer serving Lyons, call (800) 794-0444
Proving Elder Verbal and Emotional Abuse Cases Can Be Tough
Since there are no outward signs of abuse, such as bruising or other indicators, it can be challenging to identify when elder verbal and emotional abuse is happening. Additionally, your loved one may have difficulty communicating what is happening due to physical and cognitive impairments from Alzheimer’s or dementia, for example.
To proceed with your claim, it is required to prove:
- The nursing home owed a duty of care to your loved one.
- The nursing home or caregiver breached that duty.
- The breach resulted in psychological harm and emotional distress to your loved one.
A Lyons verbal and emotional abuse lawyer can help you investigate the abuse by providing medical professionals who can talk to your loved one and examine them. This process will help build the evidence necessary to prove your case. They will work alongside other appropriate authorities to ensure no further harm is done to your loved one and to protect their rights.
They can also help you to file your claim on time and make you aware of laws that could affect the outcome of your case, such as the statutes that limit the amount of time you have to bring your case to the courts.
If you have concerns about a loved one in a nursing home and believe they are suffering from abuse, reach out today for guidance.
Lyons Verbal or Emotional Abuse Lawyer Near Me (800) 794-0444
Lyons Verbal or Emotional Abuse Lawyer Protecting the Elderly from Harm
If you are searching for a firm that handles nursing home and elder abuse cases, the team at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm can help. Offering a unique blend of both the medical and legal fields, they have access to medical professionals who can provide expert testimony, and vigorously protect the rights of their clients in litigation for elder verbal and emotional abuse cases.
We help older people and their families to recover compensation for:
- Medical costs of treatment from harm inflicted through psychological elder abuse
- Future rehabilitation costs such as counseling
- Medical treatment costs
- Emotional distress
- Wrongful death
We only charge fees for the cases we win, meaning you have no upfront costs and offer a free case evaluation where you can talk to a member of our team in confidence about your concerns and find out what went wrong. Contact us today for further help and advice.
Call or text (800) 794-0444 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
