Understanding the Signs and Symptoms of Emotional and Financial Elderly Abuse

If your parent or grandparent is in a nursing home, then you likely want to make sure that your loved one receives all the assistance and guidance they need. If you feel that something is just not right with the care they are receiving, then you may be seeing signs of nursing home abuse. While most people think of the abuse as physical, this is not always the case. There are several different types of abuse that you may see and that will require the assistance of a dedicated nursing home abuse lawyer.

Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse is when a nurse, nurse's aide, or other types of caregiver verbally abuses your loved one. Blaming the elderly individual for incidents, demeaning them, yelling at them, or intimidating them in any way is considered abuse. Ignoring patients is also considered emotional abuse and so is isolating someone. In other words, any actions that cause your loved one distress is emotional abuse.

There are some signs that emotional abuse is taking place, like low self-esteem, reduced verbalization, depression, eye contact avoidance, and mood swings. Unfortunately, if you loved one has a form of dementia, then these signs and symptoms can also be attributed to the disease. 

If you notice changes in demeanor or attitude, then make an appointment right away to speak with your loved one's physician. The individual should be able to give you insight into the stage of dementia your loved one is experiencing and whether or not the changes can be attributed to the progression of the disease. 

Financial Abuse

If your loved one does have dementia, then they may be quite forgetful. However, if you notice that belongings are missing or if you hear your loved one say they are missing, then you should pay attention. While some elderly people like to give presents to caregivers, most nursing homes have strict rules against this. Not only can this be interpreted as taking advantage of a resident, but it upsets elderly patients if they later forget that they gave something away. 

If your loved one also speaks about money that has gone missing, then this is something else to consider. Most nursing facilities will keep clear and concise records when it comes to expenses and payments made to the account. Also, most loved ones will obtain power of attorney over their relatives to help with finances and bill payments. If you have done this, then make sure to look at your loved one's bank account right away. Also, make an appointment to speak with the accounting department at the nursing home. If you feel that your relative is being talked into certain extras that they do not want or that are not being provided, then you should be able to put restrictions on the account to make sure this does not happen. You can get more advice by clicking here.

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