Emotional or psychological abuse can include:
- threatening to do something to the older adult or to something or someone the person cares about
- mental cruelty
- humiliation
- forced socialization or isolation
- treating the older adult like a child
- not allowing the older adult to make decisions for themselves
Signs of Emotional Abuse
- showing fear of certain family members, friends, or caregivers
- withdrawal, passivity, agitation, anxiety, apathy, or depression without any apparent reason
- unexplained paranoia or fears
- physical signs of isolation
- unusual weight gain/loss;
- refusing to talk openly
- making inconsistent statements
- waiting for the caregiver to respond to questions
- noticeable behavioural changes including avoiding eye contact
- low self-esteem
- difficulty sleeping or needing excessive sleep
- making excuses for social isolation
- being largely ignored, treated passively, or treated like a child by a caregiver
NOTE: Some of these indicators may be present and the older adult is not being abused. These are only possible signs of abuse.
For more information, see CPLEA’s Let’s talk: Elder abuse resource manual.