Families place loved ones in nursing homes expecting safety, dignity, and compassionate care. But alarming new federal watchdog reports suggest that some facilities are relying on powerful antipsychotic drugs to chemically sedate dementia patients instead of properly caring for them.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General recently found “alarming instances” of nursing homes giving antipsychotic medications to residents with dementia primarily to control behavior and reduce staff burdens. These medications carry serious FDA warnings because they may increase the risk of falls, strokes, and even death in elderly dementia patients.
