Friday, June 03, 2011

New Report Reveals Over-Use of Anti-Psychotics in Nursing Homes

This spring, a family reported to me that a loved one in a nursing home had trouble getting her medications in balance.  She was placed in a hospital to help sort the problem out and after her stay, she was even worse and never spoke again.  What a tragedy.

This summary of a national report reflects the same experience is happening all over.

"When a loved one moves into a nursing home, the support of family and friends is particularly important.  This is especially true when the nursing home patient has dementia and can't adequately advocate on his or her own behalf.  A newly released report from the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services makes clear just how crucial it is for families to monitor and ask questions about medications that such patients receive."

Source:  CNN Opinion (May 31, 2011) and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys

Full OIG report