When you or a loved one has suffered emotional abuse in a nursing home, you might be unaware of your options. One common question victims have is if they can sue for the emotional abuse they’ve received.
Read on if you’ve ever wondered, “Can I sue for emotional abuse in a nursing home?” For help pursuing a claim, partner with a San Diego personal injury lawyer.
Nursing Home Emotional Abuse: Your Right to Sue
Psychological abuse occurs when a party in any kind of relationship causes undue emotional distress or trauma toward another person without the use of physical harm. In medical residential settings in general—and nursing homes in particular—the potential for abuse is high, as caretakers may use their influence over an elder resident to manipulate or damage them.
Emotional abuse or neglect in a nursing home causes actual damage to elderly residents. Nursing home residents depend on their caretakers for their well-being. Given the caretakers owe them a duty of care as their patients, these types of abuses can be actionable when the victims choose to pursue civil remedies.
The losses you or a loved one can suffer in a nursing home due to emotional abuse can be both economic and non-economic in nature. That’s why, when you go to file a lawsuit, some damages you can be awarded in a settlement include:
- Medical expenses related to your abuse
- Pharmaceuticals
- Counseling or emotional therapy
- Emotional trauma and suffering
As evidenced by the losses above, emotional abuse commonly leads to both economic and non-economic consequences. Fortunately, filing a claim can help you or your loved one get compensated for such losses.
Forms of Psychological Abuse in Nursing Homes
Caretakers can emotionally abuse nursing home residents in a variety of ways, but the two main categories of emotional abuse could be described as verbal and non-verbal.
Some examples of verbal emotional abuse include:
- Screaming or yelling
- Making threatening statements
- Mocking or humiliating the resident in front of others
- Downplaying the concerns of a resident in front of others
Verbal abuse can leave victims with significant emotional trauma or PTSD. But the impact of non-verbal abuse, including the following examples, can be just as damaging:
- Neglecting the emotional needs of the resident
- Placing the resident in a situation of social isolation
- Emotionally manipulating the resident’s dependency on the caretaker
- Intentionally misplacing or rearranging the resident’s personal objects
Signs that Emotional Abuse Has Occurred
Knowing the signs of emotional abuse will help you be prepared to spot it. If your loved one shows a sudden change in behavior, seems anxious, or appears to have a fear of a particular caretaker, taking steps to protect their safety is crucial.
A nursing home abuse lawyer can help you seek damages in a lawsuit.
Contact a Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer
When your loved one has suffered emotional abuse, a lawyer from The Kindley Firm, APC, will help you recover financial compensation for their losses.
We offer free consultations—call 619-550-1313 or fill out the form below to get started.
