Medical Malpractice Lawyers

Enlightening News for Cleveland Nursing Home Injury Lawyers: Nursing Home Antipsychotic Prescriptions Decline 21%

Our nursing home injury lawyers in Cleveland recently came across a study that is good news for the families of nursing home residents. Antipsychotic medicine is being subscribed to nursing home residents less often, declining 21.7 percent over the past four years, according to a new report from the Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services.

Though the use of antipsychotic medicine can be very beneficial to some residents, there have been concerns of over-prescription by nursing homes as a way to easier control of residents. This can put some elderly residents in danger and limit their alertness and ability to enjoy the sunset years of their lives.

The data was compiled by the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes, which operates under the direction of CMS.  In the first quarter of 2015, 18.7 percent of nursing home residents received antipsychotic medicine compared to 23.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011. The American Health Association reported that its members had decreased use among residents by 23 percent in the fourth quarter of 2015.

“This represents the progress we’ve made in bettering the lives of those we serve every day,” AHCA President and CEO Mark Parkinson told McKnight’s Long Term Care News.

The progress is a result of an initiative launched in 2012 by The American Health Care Association to reduce antipsychotic medication by 30 percent by 2016. This means the care is improving for residents and families, with less need for litigation by a nursing home injury lawyer in Cleveland.