Elderly Drug Abuse: Over-Medication in Nursing Homes
However unfortunate, elderly drug abuse happens more recurrently in nursing homes than most people realize. A motivating factor for some caregivers is to keep patients in a lethargic state to lessen their day-to-day workload. After all, a comatose patient requires less attention and thus less personal care.
Proving an elderly patient has been subjected to drug abuse is no simple task in the courtroom. As such, attorneys often recommend class action suits to show a series of cases rather than a solitary occurrence. However, drug abuse can sometimes be an isolated event. In these cases, a reputable nursing home abuse lawyer should find another avenue for defense.
In situations where family members frequently visit their loved one, drug abuse can be more easily detected in nursing homes. Telltale signs often include:
- Sudden withdrawal from communication or routine activities,
- Oversleeping,
- Inattentiveness when spoken to and/or the
- Sudden onset of drooling, nose picking or tongue smacking
If drug abuse is suspected, seeking legal consultation may be the next logical step. In most cases, an attorney will not only try to stop the abuse, but aim for compensation including funds for relocation of the patient to a safer facility. However, lawsuits can sometimes lead to repercussions, so moving your loved one to alternative facility may be wise before case proceedings. As well, an attorney may be able to legally break the nursing home contract even during the investigation.
Because it can be burdensome for an elderly patient to handle their own lawsuit, it’s often upon family members to see the process through to fruition. Although this can be a grievous undertaking, it may be necessary to keep proceedings in order and on schedule.
If you suspect a nursing home of over-medication, or any other form of elderly abuse, an attorney should be promptly notified. Elderly abuse can often be ceased simply by contacting an attorney. Well before a trial is ever needed, this is sometimes enough to persuade the accused nursing home to raise their standard of care.
My mother is in a nursing home in West orange NJ.Hard ti explain but I will do my best.My mother ...
my name is lynette. the worse kind of neglect is what they did to my dad. my father had a ...
what do you think about a 96-year old blind women living in a nursing home that does not help her ...
i see the neglect everyday i go see my dad. the home is far more worried about cosmectic of appearence ...
Comment by esther, penni cochrane on 18 January 2012:
My mother is in a nursing home in West orange NJ.Hard ti explain but I will do my best.My mother has all the above but her chin rests on her chest, she is so relaxed that her tounge hangs out of her mouth.Sometimes she has a blank stare.The unit she is on there are only bodies with no minds. One of the nurses said to my husband we have to medicate her when she is agaited. I told the nurse that I want a complete antidepressant, percaset blood profile. I also wnted to the if the medication is making her agitated and not metableizig as it should in her body. My mother has Post Polio Syndrome curvature the spine. They told me she lost her teeth, barley eats. she is a small women and I don’t think she’s 100LBS
How in the world are the drugs working in this small body?? Dr is supposed to call me when a new medication is added or stopped. I want her to die with dignaty.Ever since she was moved to the new unit she has gone down hill rapidly.There is some sparke in her brain left as she said my brothers birthday is here soon.The drugs have taken my mother away from my family. She lives in a dining room with other MEDICATED residents from around 8:00 AM in to the evening. That is her whole world now. Then goes to her room some time at night to sleep.I fixed her room up nicely for what.SHE IS KEPT LARTHARGIC STATE. It’s not for her safety!!
Esther Cochrane