Humans are social creatures. They work, play, love, and fear as a unit better than they do alone. United, they build great works and explore the globe and beyond. Divided, they suffer in silence or in great cries until something changes.
The less power a person feels they have to change their situation, the more likely they are to bottle up their pain to try to endure. In incidents of nursing home neglect, isolation complicates everything.
Isolation is both an end result of a problem and also adds more problems. Once it begins, it tends to spiral quickly. Studies and unique experiments have shown that complete isolation can break down a person mentally, emotionally, and physically in less than 20 days.
Isolation After Nursing Home Neglect
Recent studies into the notion of guilt have turned up some surprising results. Creatures, both humans and animals, act guilty when they are blamed for something. Guilt isn’t an admittance of wrongdoing; it is an expression of pain.
When someone is being mistreated, but has no proof, it is easy for them to go into a combination of guilt and shame spiral. They worry that they can’t be trusted and lament that they also can’t be helped.
This spiral is seen in the young and the old alike when they are dealing with a problem that is outside of their scope. To avoid feeling shame, people hide. To avoid desperation, they seek help.
When a person can’t find help or hide from the source of problems, things get ugly.
Isolation Begets Isolation
Once a person has started into an isolation spiral it is harder to get them to socialize. This is one of the recurring struggles seen in patients with autism. They sense that something is wrong and withdraw to avoid causing more problems.
This withdrawal becomes a sealed loop that can be very difficult to open.
The same feelings that lead to an initial isolation continue to nag a person, leading them further into the sense of helplessness. The only way to prevent the cycle is to get them to accept help and discover the initial trigger.
Isolation Creates Harm
Time is of the essence in cases of mental and psychical isolation. The longer a person stays in the mindset, the more harm they suffer.
Being away from other people has been shown to lower immune response, leaving people vulnerable to infection. Infections are a leading cause of complications in nursing home populations.
Refusals to attend to basic needs like grooming and exercise come from isolation. Lacking either of these makes rejoining a social circle difficult.
Isolation Reduces Recovery
Physical wounds heal up to 30% slower in isolated subjects. The good feelings and effort that come from socialization break down the immune system and the immune response effect.
This is why frequent check ups are so important during recovery from a surgery or when someone is ill. When care falls to the side, the isolated person can quickly worsen.
Get a Team on Your Side
If you have a loved one suffering from isolation and you suspect nursing home negligence is at play, get involved. The more effort you put in, the more likely you will be able to reverse the harm done. As for the facility, fight for proper care of your elderly loved ones by contacting us to learn more about how to take the staff to tasks. We’re here to help.
