Most nursing home residents require daily medication in order to maintain their health. In fact, approximately 95% of all nursing home residents are on some kind of medication. While this is medically necessary in most cases, nursing home staff have been accused of overprescribing and overmedicating as a means of restraining residents. Overmedication is not only ethically wrong, it also causes serious health issues.
Overmedication with antipsychotic drugs is the most common way nursing home residents are medically restrained. Nursing home staff may knowingly prescribe these drugs without the consent of the resident or the treating physician. In fact, studies have shown that approximately 17% of nursing home residents receive more than the required dosage of antipsychotics on a daily basis.
There is no acceptable reason for a nursing home to chemically restrain a resident through unneeded or overuse of medication.
Unfortunately, these drugs can cause loved ones to go from alert and active to disoriented and tired. When administered improperly, they can even cause stroke or death. According to the FDA, 15,000 nursing home residents die each year because of unnecessary psychotics. These are unacceptable consequences of nursing home staff unnecessarily medicating residents for their own convenience.
Nursing home abuse and negligence claims involve many complex legal and medical issues. Having the right attorney is essential to recovering what you deserve. Our Midwest nursing home abuse law firm will do everything possible to assist you in obtaining the maximum compensation possible. More importantly, our firm will serve as an ally that will give you and your family the respect and compassion it needs. Contact us to protect your family today.
