Elder abuse can happen anywhere. As seniors become more frail over time, they become less able to defend themselves from different kinds of attacks. Sadly, there are many people out there who see this weakness as an opportunity to abuse, neglect, or take advantage of elderly individuals. There are three different categories of abuse that elderly victims may suffer:
- Emotional abuse – This category usually involves an attacker causing emotional distress or mental anguish to elderly victims. The most common form of emotional abuse is verbal, and may manifest as yelling, humiliation, blaming, and threatening. Nonverbal emotional abuse includes isolating, terrorizing, and ignoring the elderly victim.
- Sexual abuse – This is when intimate contact is made without permission or consent from the victim. This form of abuse may include instances that are sexually suggestive, like the exposure to pornographic materials.
- Physical abuse – This is perhaps the most common form of elder abuse, and it is characterized as any non-accidental use of force that leads to the elder’s physical pain or injury.
Unfortunately, the care facilities we entrust our elderly loved ones to are often the settings for these types of abuse or neglect. If your loved one has suffered as a result of a nursing home staff member’s actions or behavior in Chicago, do not hesitate to speak with our lawyers at Peck Ritchey, LLC. Call us now at (855) 328-5787 to let us put a stop to this abuse.