Understanding Emotional Abuse in Illinois Nursing Homes

 Posted on January 15, 2025 in Nursing Home Abuse

Nursing homes serve as essential institutions that care for our elderly population, providing them with the support and assistance they need in their later years. However, it is disheartening to acknowledge that some nursing homes fail to uphold the high standards of care and respect for their residents, leading to emotional abuse. Psychological torment in nursing homes can have lasting consequences for an elderly person’s health, both mentally and physically.

If you believe your loved one is suffering from emotional abuse in a nursing home, contact a Cook County, IL nursing home abuse lawyer to begin the process of ending the mistreatment and seeking justice for your loved one. At Schwartz Injury Law, we have a long history of fighting for nursing home residents, with countless victories to show for it. In our prior case results, we have secured significant compensation for abused and neglected elders, giving our clients closure after harrowing incidents.

Recognizing Emotional Abuse in Nursing Homes

Emotional abuse refers to any behavior that causes psychological harm or distress to resident. In the context of nursing homes, emotional abuse can manifest in various forms, including verbal attacks, isolation, humiliation, and manipulation.

Caregivers and staff members who engage in emotional abuse may exploit the vulnerability of residents, exerting power and control over them. Nursing home staff sometimes weaponize their authority against residents by threatening to take away meals and other necessities. In other cases, the staff may guilt trip the residents and damage their self-worth by belittling them. The most frustrating part about all of this is that it often happens behind closed doors, away from family members or friends who would obviously object to such treatment.

Impact on Residents' Well-Being

Emotional abuse can have severe consequences on nursing home residents' physical and mental health. Residents suffering from emotional abuse often experience a decline in their overall well-being, leading to depressed moods, feelings of helplessness, and social withdrawal.

When visiting your loved ones at a nursing facility, you should keep watch for signs of distress, such as emotional outbursts or a dour disposition. If your loved one exhibits anxious tics like thumb-sucking, rocking back and forth, or mumbling, it might be indicative of emotional abuse by the staff. Any suicidal ideation or self-harming behavior in your loved one should be taken with the utmost seriousness.

Emotional abuse can also exacerbate existing health conditions, compromising the quality of life for vulnerable individuals. This can lead to unhealthy weight loss, insomnia, diminished appetite, and a greater susceptibility to illness or injury.

Causes of Emotional Abuse in Nursing Homes

There is no reasonable justification for mistreatment in a nursing home. There are common contributing factors in cases of emotional abuse and neglect in these facilities, which we have experience investigating. Leading factors in emotional abuse include:

• Understaffing. When a nursing home does not have enough employees to address each resident’s needs, the staff can become easily overworked and bitter, taking out their frustrations on the vulnerable residents.

• Bad Hiring Practices. If new hires at a nursing facility are not properly screened and vetted, the likelihood of emotional abuse increases.

• Poor training. Otherwise qualified employees can fall short of the acceptable standard of care if they are not trained, leading to mistreatment of the residents.

At Schwartz Injury Law, our lawyers can identify the root causes of abuse to build a comprehensive claim. Rarely does the fault lie with just one person – oftentimes, emotional abuse in a nursing home is a systematic problem, enabled by negligent practices.

Legal Protections Against Emotional Abuse

Legal measures have been put in place to address the issue of emotional abuse in nursing homes to protect residents. In Illinois law, the Nursing Home Care Act protects residents by requiring that nursing homes provide services that promote residents' physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being. These regulations extend to safeguarding remains from emotional abuse and neglect.

Any violation of the Nursing Home Care Act is legally actionable, and you can be sure that our attorneys will hold nursing facilities accountable for any wrongdoing. Under the Nursing Home Care Act, nursing home residents have the right to outside contact in the form of visits, phone calls, and mail. If you suspect that your loved one is being purposely cut off from these resources, we can launch a full investigation into the conditions at the nursing home.

Furthermore, state laws and regulations outline specific requirements for nursing homes to ensure a safe and abuse-free environment. These include proper staff training, strict reporting procedures for suspected abuse, and the establishment of resident councils to address concerns and complaints.

Seeking Justice 

If you suspect emotional abuse in a nursing home, it is crucial to take immediate action to protect the resident and hold the responsible parties accountable. Document any signs of abuse, such as changes in behavior or unexplained injuries, and report them to the appropriate authorities. Also, be sure to contact a nursing home abuse attorney, as they will likely have the resources and knowledge necessary to take appropriate action.

Taking legal action against an entity like a nursing home can be very difficult without the help of an experienced attorney. At Schwartz Injury Law, we take any claims of nursing home abuse seriously, and we will use all of the tools at our disposal to investigate your case. We work collaboratively with a network of healthcare professionals who can support your claim with expert testimony. Furthermore, we can collect witness statements from other residents and employees at the facility to lend credence to your case.

Contact a Chicago, IL Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer 

No nursing home resident deserves to suffer from any form of abuse. If your loved one is suffering from abuse, contact the skilled Cook County, IL nursing home abuse attorneys with Schwartz Injury Law. When you work with our firm, we will do everything in our power to see that justice is done, fighting for full compensation on behalf of your elderly loved one. Call 312-535-4625 to schedule a free consultation with a real lawyer.