Types of Verbal Abuse Verbal abuse comes in many forms. It can come from family members, nursing home staff, and other caregivers. Any statement made to an elderly person with the intention of causing pain, fear, or harm is considered verbal abuse. Emotional abuse of older people occurs when an older person is harmed through insults, shouting, or verbal harassment.
It is also known as psychological abuse of older people. Specific definitions vary in what elder abuse actually is, and those definitions continue to evolve. WHO calls elder abuse “a single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, that occurs within any relationship in which there is an expectation of trust that causes harm or distress to an older person. It can be verbal, physical, psychological or emotional, sexual or financial.
It can also be carelessness, whether intentional or unintentional. One of the most common types of emotional abuse experienced by the elderly is verbal abuse. Verbal abuse often occurs in nursing homes, and at least one in ten nursing home residents has experienced neglect and abuse. When an older person moves to a nursing home for the first time, they may feel emotionally vulnerable because it's a big transition.
At this time, verbal abuse can be more destructive to your health and just as damaging as physical abuse. Verbal abuse is a serious and understudied form of elder abuse, which can be associated with decreased mental and physical health. Our findings suggest that verbal abuse is a highly prevalent concern (38%) among older people in primary care clinics and is related to negative outcomes. More research is needed to better understand the relationship between verbal abuse and poor mental health and quality of life.
In addition, efforts should be made to develop viable, acceptable and effective interventions that can help prevent abuse in the elderly. Shouting, insulting, belittling, or cursing an older person, or treating them like a child. Like physical abuse, psychological and verbal abuse can occur for many reasons. Patterns of Long-Term AbuseIn some cases, this abuse simply reflects long-standing conflict resolution patterns, in which some families resort to psychological or verbal abuse instead of talking about their problems.
See Overview of Elder Abuse for more general information and Signs of Elder Abuse for symptoms. In addition, you may be ordered to pay restitution to the victim and attend counseling if you are convicted of elder abuse. In addition to being verbal or nonverbal, emotional abuse of elders can be intentional or unintentional. Experts Report Elder Abuse Knowledge Lags by Up to Two Decades Behind Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Fields.
Emotional elder abuse can be very damaging, so many families choose to take legal action by working with elder protection groups, law enforcement, and lawyers. You may also want to monitor the caregiver's behaviors to see if they may be emotionally abusing an elderly person. In addition, older adults who are victims of psychological abuse should be asked if they have also experienced physical abuse. Possible Increase in Abuse In addition, this abuse can lead to other forms of abuse, such as physical abuse and financial exploitation.
Forty percent stated that they themselves had suffered psychological abuse, while 10% admitted to having suffered physical abuse. Nonverbal emotional abuse of older people can be particularly difficult to prove, however, both types can cause the victim severe emotional pain and suffering. Filing a Nursing Home Emotional Abuse Lawsuit is Best Handled by Experienced Home Abuse Attorneys. A study published by the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society identified several risk factors for emotional abuse of older people.
When staff members abuse patients, they may also be afraid to report abuse to others. Elder physical abuse causes harm or impediment and generally includes hitting, slapping, pushing, or hitting with objects. . .
