Psychiatric Medication Use in Nursing Homes
Summary:
This article discusses misuse of medication in nursing homes all across the United States, including Arizona. The main focus is frequent misuse of antipsychotic medication in nursing homes - almost 10 percent of prescriptions are not monitored. The article further discusses the importance of dopamine receptors in individuals, particularly the elderly (65 and up), as it is key to improving and maintaining a high quality of life. Thus, a brief overview of why nursing home abuse occurs with these types of drugs and how it could be a danger to your family member is necessary. It concludes with how to gain knowledge from an Arizona Nursing Home Attorney.
Psychiatric Medication Use in Nursing Homes
Persons 65 and older are choosing to reside both long and short term in nursing homes, rather than receive in-home care from a physician. Some residents of nursing homes legitimately need medication in order to maintain their quality of life. However, misuse of Psychiatric Medication is an ongoing problem in Nursing Homes in the United States, including Arizona. A recently conducted study by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences showed that 24% of people living in Nursing Homes were placed on some type of antipsychotic drug within the first year of residing in a home. Shockingly out of those 24% receiving antipsychotic medication, physicians or nurses administered to only 14 percent of those residents. Unfortunately, that leaves 10 percent of unaccounted and possibly misused antipsychotic medication.
An Arizona Attorney, who strongly advocates against abuse and negligence in nursing homes, is aware of the many uses of antipsychotic medication and the abuse that occurs among Arizona nursing home residents. An Arizona lawyer can help find out what damages Nursing homes and assisted living centers are liable for. Overmedicating an elderly person simply to make their physicians', volunteers', or any employees' job easier, is no excuse.
Why do some tend to abuse the use of antipsychotic medication?
The purpose of antipsychotic medication is to treat an individual for many mental issues. Antipsychotic drugs work sedate or tranquilize the individual under the influence of these medications. These medications work to calm the person who may have anxiety or may display onset of memory disease - Dementia and Alzheimer's. However, these medications can be given to people who do not display a psychotic disorder, but appear irritable or difficult to deal with. Often, dispensing antipsychotic medication to these individuals has the same calming effect as it does on a person who legitimately needs it. This is Nursing Home Abuse. If Antipsychotic Medications are taken unnecessarily, they will lower the quality of life for the individual.
How do antipsychotic drugs work?
Antipsychotic drugs are very simple to understand. The main goal of an antipsychotic drug is to block or interfere with certain transmitters in the brain. This produces the sedative and/or tranquilizing effect. But there are side effects as with any type of drug. Side effects for drugs that block dopamine receptors can lead the brain to remain in that state, or if overdosed, can lead to death. Dopamine receptors are produced in many areas of the brain, and can affect things like "pleasure and motivation" or even how to process pain. The importance of maintaining dopamine in your brain, rather than over blocking is important to the person's life.
Contact an Arizona Nursing Home Lawyer
There are federal acts and initiatives imposed on Arizona nursing homes to make sure misuse of these dangerous antipsychotic medications does not occur. Granted, it does not mean each provider is giving a low level of care, but making sure your loved one is receiving a high level of a care is important. An Arizona Attorney can understand the liabilities Nursing Homes face due to misuse of medication. For more information visit www.nursinghomeadvocates.com
