ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER
Overmedicating Nursing Home Residents
Overmedication of nursing home residents is a real danger. A recent study concluded that nursing homes administer unnecessary antipsychotic drugs to 179,000 patients every week. These powerful drugs are designed to treat serious mental conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder; they are not meant for treating dementia. Yet, the study found nursing homes administer the drugs to sedate dementia and Alzheimer’s patients in order to make the patients easier to manage. The study attributed this overmedication to insufficient staffing and training, staff convenience, and lack of government oversight.
The San Francisco and California nursing home abuse attorneys at Evans Law Firm, Inc. understand what can go horribly wrong when a nursing home resident is overmedicated or otherwise abandoned, neglected or abused. We represent elderly victims of such abuse and our attorneys know how to investigate these cases and what remedies are available to the victims. If you or someone you know is suffering from nursing home abuse here in San Francisco or elsewhere in California, call the nursing home abuse attorneys at Evans Law Firm today at 415-441-8669, and we can help.
Intentional overmedication of seniors is a particularly dangerous kind of elder abuse. The FDA warns that antipsychotic drugs lead to increased risk of death for dementia patients. At a minimum, the drugs produce noticeable behavioral changes. An overmedicated patient may become reclusive, confused or begin sleeping for long periods of time; they may also develop unexplained medical conditions. If you have a loved one in a nursing home and notice abnormal changes in behavior, the reason could be overmedication. Prescribing medication for people who don’t have the condition it’s meant for is illegal and immoral. You can stand up for your loved one in court and get them the justice they deserve. If you suspect this type of abuse, call us today at (415)441-8669.
Contact Us
If you or a loved one is or has been the victim of nursing home abuse in San Francisco or elsewhere in California, contact Ingrid M. Evans and the other nursing home abuse attorneys at the Evans Law Firm at (415) 441-8669, or by email at <a href=”mailto:info@evanslaw.com”>info@evanslaw.com</a>. We can help guide your case through a jury trial or toward an equitable settlement. We handle cases involving physical and financial elder abuse, qui tam and whistleblower law, nursing home abuse, whole life insurance and universal life insurance, and indexed, variable, and fixed annuities.
