Nursing Home Drug Abuse
Lloyd Berkley was a nursing home resident who, according to his nurse, became very angry and combative shortly after his admission to the nursing home. As a result, the nurse administered a psychotropic medication known as Haldol to sedate Mr. Berkley. Mr. Berkley was not psychotic, and Haldol is used primarily to treat schizophrenia and acute psychotic states. Shortly after the drug was injected, Mr. Berkley fell asleep. Upon waking up, he fell and struck his head on a fan. Two days later, he died from bleeding in his brain. Mr. Berkley’s case highlights a disturbing trend at nursing homes today: nursing home residents improperly receiving psychotropic drugs which lead them to fall and suffer serious injuries and sometimes death.
Nursing Homes and Psychotropic Medication Injuries
Psychotropic drugs affect the central nervous system and cause changes in behavior or perception, and are generally used to treat psychotic conditions. The Chicago Tribune recently reported that “half of Illinois’ best nursing homes-those rated four or five stars by the federal government-have been cited at least once since 2001 for misusing psychotropic” medications”. According to the Tribune, thousands of nursing home residents were given these drugs without a diagnosis of psychosis or consent by the resident. To date, the Tribune has identified 1,200 violations of this nature since 2001, with the actual number of affected nursing home residents projected to be higher than reported.Many residents who have been improperly given these medications sustain serious injuries from their side effects. Other residents become so lethargic that they need to be hospitalized.
Nursing home residents who suffer from Alzheimer’s, cancer or Parkinson’s disease are among some who improperly receive psychotropic medications. Patients who exhibit anxiety, restlessness, or confusion are also among those who improperly receive these medications. Side effects include severe lethargy, permanent involuntary muscle movements, seizures and sudden death. Medications that are commonly given include Zyprexa, Seroquel, Haldol and Risperdal.
Contact an experienced nursing home abuse attorney
At times, nursing homes may purposely add a diagnosis of mental illness to a resident’s records to justify the use of psychotropic drugs, even if they do not have such an illness. Because of our extensive experience, our legal experts can obtain medical records and determine if improper action was taken at the nursing home your loved one is at. If you suspect that a loved one in a nursing home may have been seriously injured as a result of being improperly given psychotropic medications, contact an experienced nursing home abuse attorney at the Pintas firm today. Our personal injury law firm can provide you with a free no-obligation consultation and inform you of your legal options.
Where are all this patient going to go? Are there care going to be turned over by the state?