Overmedication a Problem for Dementia Patients, Says Panel
According to panelists attending a Senate Aging Committee forum, with the number of dementia patients continuing to grow, overmedication is becoming a serious problem. They said that one reason overmedication occurs is that family members, caregivers, and nursing home workers can mistake patients' complaints about physical ailments for unruly or aggressive conduct. To manage the patient’s behavior, antipsychotic medication that the patient doesn’t actually need is administered. On that note, our Chicago nursing home abuse law firm wants to remind our readers that giving medication to a patient without valid cause is a negligent act.
Panelists at the forum recommended other non-pharmacologic ways to deal with aggressive or unruly dementia patients, including allowing the same nursing home staff to work with specific patients so there is a better understanding of each resident’s needs and personality, hands-on skill training for family members, personal counseling, and activities that are easier for dementia patients to engage in. A number of speakers noted that even though the topic of providing dementia patients with better care has been around for some time, not much action has been taken on a federal level.
However, a number of experts have also stepped forward to say that they don’t think that dementia patients are being overmedicated and that, in fact, they are receiving appropriate care to deal with their delusions and hallucinations. These experts say that the medications can prevent some dementia patients from becoming dangerous to themselves or others.
There are about 5 million people in the US suffering from some form of dementia. Regardless of whether or not a dementia patient needs medication to cope with his/her disease, a patient should never be overmedicated for any reason.
Overmedication is a form of Chicago nursing home abuse and can be used to control or unnecessarily sedate patients for the convenience of the staff. Giving an Illinois patient too much medication can increase their chances of becoming involved in a fall accident or engaging in behavior or actions that could be harmful to themselves and/or others.
Drugging of Dementia Patients Cited as Serious Problem, ABC News, December 9, 2010
Overmedication in the Nursing Home, The New York Times, January 11, 2010
Related Web Resources:
United States Special Committee on Aging
Illinois Nursing Homes, Illinois Department of Public Health
Contact our Chicago nursing home neglect law firm today.
