Verbal abuse is one of the most common forms of nursing home abuse that elderly residents endure. While verbal abuse can occur anywhere, it frequently occurs in nursing homes, where elderly patients are away from loved ones who could spot this type of abuse and help. When aging individuals are moved into a nursing home, it often leaves them feeling emotionally vulnerable as well, leading to further potential abuse.
Verbal abuse can be as harmful and destructive to an elderly resident’s health as physical abuse is. If your aging parent or loved one is dealing with verbal abuse, you shouldn’t hesitate to contact a New York nursing home abuse lawyer, like those at Dalli & Marino, LLP right away. We can provide the support and care you need in order to get the compensation you may deserve.
Types of Verbal Abuse in New York Nursing Homes
Verbal abuse can be any type of statement made that has the intention of inflicting emotional or psychological pain or manipulation. Verbal abuse is very detrimental to nursing home residents and is also considered bullying, as the staff members are in an authority position. But, residents may also experience verbal abuse not just from staff members, but also from other residents, family members, or even visitors.
Some common types of verbal abuse in New York nursing homes against elderly residents include:
- Rude remarks
- Yelling
- Criticizing
- Blaming and accusing
- Mocking or insulting
- Threatening
- Trivializing concerns
Verbal abuse, like with other forms of abuse, frequently stems from impatience or frustration. Nursing home staff might become frustrated with the resident for not being able to control bodily functions or for other reasons. They take this frustration out on the resident which manifests into verbal abuse. Whatever the reason, patients never deserve to be abused, and contacting a nursing home abuse lawyer can help.
What Are the Signs of Nursing Home Verbal Abuse?
The problem with verbal abuse is that there’s generally no evidence of it like there is with physical abuse. When staff members are abusing residents, the residents may be too scared or intimidated to report the abuse. Some residents are also affected by cultural factors that cause them to remain quiet and cope with the abuse. However, there are some verbal abuse signs you can look for, including:
- Low self-esteem
- Depression and withdrawal
- Insomnia
- Changes in behavior or personality
- Excessive nervousness and fear
- Agitation
Verbal abuse can be damaging and devastating to residents. It can lead to lasting psychological and emotional damage. Therefore, it’s important that you recognize the signs and get your loved one to a safe environment where they can be better cared for. Then, you should contact a New York nursing home abuse lawyer to gain knowledge on your legal options for recovering compensation for the nursing home’s negligence.
Why Does Verbal Abuse Occur in Nursing Homes?
It’s important to remember that it’s not just nursing home employees and staff that verbally abuse residents in the nursing home. In some cases, the perpetrators of abuse can even be other residents. It’s the nursing home’s responsibility to recognize this abuse and take the necessary action to stop it. If they don’t, then it’s negligence on their part.
Even more common and distressing is when the nursing home staff, who should be providing compassionate care to the residents, are the ones who are being verbally abusive. Even though it can be challenging to try and care for residents with medical and psychological issues, it’s still the responsibility and expectation of the nursing home staff to care for residents in a caring and professional manner. Even so, verbal abuse can still unfortunately happen for a myriad of reasons, including:
Poor Staff Training
Many nursing homes bring on new hires at a lower pay scale with very minimal training. Some even fail to train their workers on how to effectively and compassionately deal with the physical or emotional issues that residents often suffer from. Because of this, these staff members are frequently unskilled and frustrated with their job and take it out on the patients.
Caregiver Burnout and Understaffing
Some caregivers are overworked because of staffing issues or they’ve lost their enthusiasm for their jobs. This often leads to burnout and they become irritated and abusive when they interact with residents.
Understaffing is a big issue in nursing homes. When staff members have to work a lot of hours to compensate for staff shortages, verbal abuse can become a real problem, even from caring staff who are experiencing burnout.
Worker Characteristics
Unfortunately, some employees are drawn to taking care of nursing home residents because they have abusive, unpleasant qualities and like to prey on residents, making them unsuited for this essential job.
None of these reasons are an excuse for verbal abuse occurring, but can be important to know about when working to get compensation for your loved one’s verbal abuse.
Recoverable Damages for Nursing Home Residents Being Abused Verbally
The damaging impact of emotional or verbal abuse can exacerbate health conditions, such as mental illness, high blood pressure, and heart disease. A New York nursing home verbal abuse attorney can evaluate your elderly loved one’s case and determine the damages. Each case is different, but common damages that lawyers fight for due to nursing home abuse include:
- Pain and suffering
- Medical care expenses (i.e. rehabilitation, hospitalization, and counseling)
- Loss of companionship
- Diminished quality of life
- Transportation and relocation costs
Our nursing home verbal abuse lawyer at Dalli & Marino, LLP can help with the various details required to pursue compensation for you or your elderly loved one. This will allow you to focus on taking care of your loved one.
Contact Our Skilled New York Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers at Dalli & Marino, LLP Today
There’s no justification for verbal abuse that endangers the emotional health of elderly residents. Nursing homes have the responsibility of ensuring elderly residents are receiving the appropriate level of treatment, respect, and care. When management or staff at nursing homes fail to keep their residents protected by upholding the required standard of care, then they should be held accountable for their misconduct, abuse, or negligence.
If you or an elderly parent or loved one has endured abuse or mistreatment in a nursing home facility, our knowledgeable and Spanish-speaking legal team here at Dalli & Marino, LLP wants to assist you in obtaining the maximum financial compensation you’re entitled to. Call our office at (888) 465-8790 or fill out our online form today to speak with our lawyers and learn about your legal options with a free consultation.
