Thousands of Georgia residents have family members who reside in assisting living centers, or other facilities commonly referred to as “nursing homes.” Sometimes, people need help with the day-to-day parts of their lives, and these types of facilities can be very helpful in that regard. However, we have all seen the saddening reports occasionally about instances of abuse or neglect in nursing homes, not just in Georgia but throughout the country. So, what are the different types of elder abuse that our readers need to be on the lookout for?
Abuse and neglect
Primarily, when most people think about elder abuse, they probably think about physical abuse. This, of course, can include actually hitting the victim, but there are other types of physical abuse that elder victims can suffer from as well, such as being confined to their room at the facility, for example.
Emotional abuse is another facet of elder abuse that should not be overlooked. When someone is already suffering from ongoing medical problems, or just the effects of aging, they may already be in a fragile emotional state. When they are subjected to name-calling, yelling or even threats, the situation just gets that much worse.
Lastly, and perhaps hardest to spot, is elder neglect. This occurs when caregivers simply do not address an elder victim’s needs. Failure to provide meals on time, provide medications on time or even the failure to get the elder victim needed medical attention are all common forms of elder neglect. When elder abuse or neglect occurs in Georgia, victims may have legal options to consider.