A Boston Globe investigation recently showed that roughly 185,000 nursing home residents in the United States were given anti-psychotics in 2010 against federal nursing home regulators’ recommendations. These types of drugs are intended to treat severe mental illness like schizophrenia.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration released a medical alert about the fatal side effects of when dementia patients take anti-psychotics. These drugs can cause dizziness, a sudden drop in blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythm, blurred vision and urinary problems in people with dementia.
The Globe report discovered that more than one in five U.S. nursing homes, anti-psychotic drugs are administered to people who do not have a condition that warrants the use of them.
Some nursing homes argue that they must use these drugs on patients to stop them from causing harm to others or themselves. Since many nursing homes don’t have enough staff, these drugs are being used to subdue patients when staff doesn’t have time to provide enough care for the demanding patients.
These kinds of practices are not humane and can be cited as nursing home neglect and abuse. If you think your loved one is being given these types of meds, and has suffered from the results of them, you should contact an experienced Dallas nursing home abuse lawyer at the Law Firm of Crowe Arnold & Majors, LLP today.
