Virginia residents who have elderly relatives who reside in nursing homes probably worry about them quite a bit. After all, if they are in a nursing home they may have some type of medical condition or disability tied to old age, requiring around-the-clock available care. But, beyond that, most of our readers have probably seen news stories about negative situations that can arise in nursing homes due to elder abuse. So, what is elder abuse?
Different types of abuse
When we think of the word “abuse,” most of us think of physical abuse, such as hitting or kicking, or generally just being rough in the way a person is handled physically. While that is certainly one type of abuse for Virginia residents to be concerned about that might occur in nursing homes, there are other types of abuse as well.
Emotional abuse is a big one. Elderly residents of nursing homes may not be in the best emotional state to begin with, but if staff members subject the residents to ridicule, intimidation or even harassment through verbal abuse, a person’s mental state can decline precipitously. Neglect is another form of elder abuse as well, which can occur when nursing home residents are simply ignored or are not provided with basics, such as proper food or clothing, for example.
If you suspect that an elderly relative is suffering from nursing home abuse, you may have legal options to consider. Any type of abuse or neglect that occurs in a nursing home setting needs to be addressed to put an end to this behavior.