The decision to place an elderly loved one into a nursing home is stressful and upsetting. Did you do the right thing? Did you choose the right place? Should you have tried to care for them at home? The questions swirl around in your brain and can keep you up at night. However, when you’ve made the decision, you have to put faith in the fact that you did research and have made a good selection.

So, what should you do if you are suspecting that the nursing home staff is shirking its responsibilities? Perhaps you are seeing black and blue marks on your mother or your father seems overly medicated. These are obvious signs that something is wrong. However, there’s another type of nursing home abuse that is pervasive yet more easily hidden.

Emotional abuse, or psychological abuse, is defined by the National Institute on Aging, as threatening, yelling, ignoring, making fun of an older person. Further, if nursing home staff refuses to allow patients to see friends or relatives, the isolation can be considered emotional abuse, as well.

When you visit your elderly loved one in the nursing home, look for some of these signs of emotional abuse:

• Changes in behavior – very fearful, depressed or uncharacteristically shy
• Avoiding eye contact
• Complaints of being exhausted (they may not be sleeping well)
• Sudden mood or emotional changes
• Feeling sorry for themselves
• An unwillingness to speak in front of workers
• Actual complaints that something is going on

If you can’t get to the nursing home for a visit, but you suspect something is going on – perhaps you’ve read letters or emails, or you hear something in their voice on the phone – ask a friend or other loved one to stop by to check things out.

If your loved one seems to be experiencing any of the symptoms above, it is important to report your suspicions to the healthcare institution and an outside agency that can impartially evaluate your claim. There are many types of nursing home abuse and sometimes it’s not easy to spot the telltale signs – especially when the problem is as insidious as emotional abuse.

However, if you keep your eyes and ears open – and hear and see what isn’t so obvious – you can determine if your loved one is getting less than optimum care.

At the LaDuca Law Firm, we won’t taking allegations of nursing home abuse lightly. We will investigate your claims and fight for your family’s rights. Contact us today for a free consultation about your elderly loved one.