Nursing home patients should never be prescribed medication out of convenience, especially ones with significant risks, like psychotropics.
However, a recent study by the University of Michigan Geriatric Psychiatrist Donovan Maust found that seniors are getting prescribed more psychiatric medications than necessary, and non-medication approaches are often ignored.
The problem is that psychotropic drugs pose significant risks to the elderly, and non-drug approaches, from therapy to meditation, can be as effective as psychotropic medications without the risks. Though antipsychotic overuse is not limited to nursing homes, elderly patients are especially vulnerable to its effects. Their frailty and age make it difficult to bounce back from complications.
Time to Reexamine.
It’s time that nursing homes across the country, including those in South Carolina, reexamine their treatment plans and begin evaluating antipsychotic use to optimize effectiveness and limit risks. These programs are becoming more popular in hospitals but are still rare in nursing homes. Nursing home patients deserve careful, conscientious care, and it’s time to take steps to ensure they receive it.
Greenville Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer
Andy Arnold is a Greenville nursing home abuse lawyer serving the citizens of South Carolina. If you are concerned that your loved one is a victim of prescription drug abuse, call A,A. Law Firm at 864-242-4800.
Antipsychotic Overuse in Nursing Homes | Blog Article | AA Law Firm | All Rights Reserved | Greenville SC. | Updated 2023
