The Star Tribune had a good article abiout the problem of over-medication of nursing home residents. Powerful antipsychotic drugs have been used for years to reduce agitation, hallucinations and other debilitating symptoms among people with mental illnesses. They also are widely used “off label” to quell disruptive behavior among people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms
Journal of Clinical Nursing has an article about a recent study linking the use of sleeping pills containing benzodiazepines to increase falls in nursing homes. Older patients taking benzodiazepines were 2.9 times more likely to fall Obviously, patients who fall suffer severe injuries. Some older patients have impaired cognitive function or limited functional ability and physical
The New York Times has an interesting and scary article about how the elderly are given dangerous and unnecessary medications. The article relays a story about a 78-year-old woman who was found unconscious on the floor of her apartment by a neighbor. Her medical history included high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure
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