Up to Two Thirds of Nursing Home Residents With Dementia Prescribed Risky Medications

A recent study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal analyzed the risk of psychotropic medications given to nursing home residents. One type of psychotropic medication, atypical antipsychotics, has already proven to increase the risk of stroke and death in the elderly. Physicians have continued to prescribe other types of psychotropic medications to manage behavioral problems in the elderly, despite safety concerns. The study’s authors set out to determine the risk of these other types of psychotropic medications: typical antipsychotics, antidepressants, and benzodiazepines prescribed for anxiety.

The study found that nursing home residents taking any of those drugs had a higher risk of death than residents taking atypical antipsychotics, although the atypical antipsychotics were already considered risky. Furthermore, the use of typical antipsychotics and antidepressants carried an increased risk of femur fracture.

Nursing home residents are often prescribed these medications because nursing homes choose not to spend resources on psychosocial and behavioral interventions that require staff training and time.

The study results can be found at:

Risk of Death and Hospital Admission

If you or someone you know has been harmed by neglect or abuse in a long term care facility, contact Benjamin Gideon at bgideon@bermansimmons.com

This entry was posted on Friday, June 3rd, 2011 at 2:39 pm and is filed under Misc.. The entry is tagged under You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.