According to a report based on government data, many nursing homes in the United States are wrongfully using anti-psychotic medications to pacify nursing home residents who display hostile or aggressive behavior. Nursing home abuse and neglect are serious public health issues in the United States, resulting in numerous instances of devastating injury and wrongful death …
According to a report based on government data, many nursing homes in the United States are wrongfully using anti-psychotic medications to pacify nursing home residents who display hostile or aggressive behavior. Nursing home abuse and neglect are serious public health issues in the United States, resulting in numerous instances of devastating injury and wrongful death every year. If you or a loved one has been the victim of nursing home abuse in Oklahoma, contact our qualified nursing home abuse attorneys at Oklahoma Legal Center today. Our skilled lawyers can help victims of nursing home abuse and neglect protect their legal rights and pursue the financial compensation they deserve.
Reports of Nursing Home Abuse Using Dangerous Medication
Many people in Oklahoma and across the U.S. put their trust in nursing home facilities and staff members to protect the health, safety and well-being of their loved ones when they can no longer adequately care for themselves. Unfortunately, overwhelming reports of nursing home abuse and neglect in the U.S. indicates that many nursing homes are taking advantage of the physical or mental decline nursing home residents struggle with on a daily basis, subjecting them to physical or verbal abuse or neglecting their daily care requirements. One major problem that nursing home facilities are facing today is the widespread misuse of anti-psychotic medications as a means of controlling residents who give staff members a “hard time.”
Anti-Psychotics for Dementia and Alzheimer’s
A recent investigation found that a nursing home in Massachusetts was administering potentially dangerous anti-psychotic drugs to 19% of its residents, even to those who did not have a condition for which the medications are approved. Anti-psychotic drugs are typically prescribed to patients suffering from conditions like schizophrenia and can have powerful side effects, including blurred vision, abnormal heart rhythm, dizziness, a sudden drop in blood pressure, and possibly even death. A recent investigation found that, in the year 2010, 185,000 nursing home residents across the country received anti-psychotic medications against the recommendation of federal nursing home regulators. Many patients who receive these drugs were suffering from conditions like dementia or Alzheimer’s.
Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys in Oklahoma
Nursing home abuse is a major problem in the United States, not only because of the injury and wrongful death it causes, but also because it is largely underreported. Because victims of nursing home abuse are often mentally or physically incapacitated, many instances of nursing home abuse or neglect go unreported by victims or family members who are unaware of the problem. If you believe a loved one has been the victim of nursing home abuse in Oklahoma, contact our qualified nursing home abuse attorneys at Oklahoma Legal Center today. Our law firm is located in Oklahoma City, and our lawyers can help victims of nursing home abuse protect their legal rights and pursue the compensation they deserve.