How Do Nursing Home Residents Become Overmedicated?
After making the difficult decision to admit your loved one into a nursing home, you trust and expect that they will receive the support and care they need. Sadly, nursing home abuse is more common than people think. While nursing home abuse takes many forms, overmedication is quite widespread. There are many reasons residents are overmedicated, ranging from intentional actions by nursing home staff members to negligence. If you believe your loved one has been harmed by overmedication, our Tampa nursing home abuse attorney can help.
Why Does Overmedication Happen in Nursing Homes?
Nursing home residents can suffer overmedication injuries when they are given excessive amounts of medication. Sometimes, this happens intentionally because nursing home staff members do not want to deal with residents. This is particularly true when a resident is suffering from an illness or condition that is hard to handle. When overmedication is intentional, it is considered nursing home abuse.
Overmedication can also happen accidentally. For example, a nursing home staff member may give a resident the appropriate dosage of medicine when they are required to take it. However, they may fail to write this down in the patient’s medical records. Another staff member may then mistakenly believe that the resident had not been given any medication and give them another dose, resulting in overmedication. When this happens, it is considered neglect.
Overmedication is Common in Nursing Homes
Nursing home residents often suffer from dementia and other issues that make it difficult to provide them with the care they need. In these instances, nursing home staff members often use tranquilizers, sometimes in excess. These tranquilizers often include powerful drugs such as Risperdal and Seroquel. Nursing homes often use these drugs so residents are easier to control. In these cases, tranquilizers are referred to as chemical restraints. One study has found that approximately 20 percent of nursing home residents are given these tranquilizers on a regular basis.
Many nursing home residents do not report abuse and neglect and in many instances, they are not even aware that the mistreatment is occurring. For this reason, family members should always understand the most common signs of overmedication.
Symptoms of Overmedication
Overmedication has many signs and symptoms that loved ones should watch for. The most common of these are as follows:
- Confusion
- Fatigue
- Exhaustion
- Oversleeping
- Anxiety
- Dizziness and falls
- Reduced appetite
- Difficulty concentrating
- Hallucinations
If your loved one suffers from any of the above symptoms, it is critical that you speak to an attorney right away. A lawyer will know the next steps to take and ensure your family member’s rights are upheld.
Call Our Nursing Home Abuse Attorney in Tampa Today
If you believe that your family member has suffered from overmedication, it is important to obtain sound advice from a Tampa nursing home abuse attorney. At Kohn Law, our experienced attorney will make sure your loved one’s rights are protected and help you obtain the compensation they need to recover from their injuries. Call us now at 813-428-8504 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation and to learn more.
Sources:
healthjournalism.org/blog/2018/06/report-finds-antipsychotic-drug-use-still-rampant-in-some-nursing-homes/#:~:text=Despite efforts to curb the,Care Community Coalition (LTCCC).
leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Displatatute&URL=0400-0499/0400/0400.html
