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Medication Errors In Nursing Homes
Since 1974, the lawyers at Solomon & Relihan have been representing injury victims throughout Arizona. We continue our work by helping some of the most vulnerable populations, people with disabilities residing in Arizona’s nursing homes and group homes.
Medication Errors in Nursing Homes
Medication Errors Are Among the Most Common Mistakes Made at Nursing Homes and Group Homes
Physical abuse, neglect, emotional abuse and other dangers put residents at risk. But, of the many problems that nursing home and group home residents experience, medication errors are among the most common. If you suspect that your loved one is being mistreated in any way, contact attorneys who focus on protecting residents and holding accountable facilities that fail to meet their duties.
Nursing and group homes often cut costs by paying low wages to staff or not providing sufficient training. The result is that staff members are often unprepared for the serious task of administering medicine to residents. The outcome may be tragic – medication errors with life-changing impact. Medication errors involve a wide range of circumstances and drugs:
- Anti-seizure medication
- Blood thinners
- Antidepressants
- Tranquilizers
- Antipsychotic drugs
- Anti-anxiety drugs
Chemical Restraints and Overmedication
In many facilities, staff members lack training and knowledge to deal appropriately with behavioral problems. Without proper training, they may promote residents’ over-use of psychotropic drugs, including antidepressants, tranquilizers, antipsychotics and anti-anxiety drugs. Many of these drugs are used in combination and their combined effect is over-sedation, a chemical restraint that limits everyday function. When used for staff convenience, and not to treat an underlying medical condition, the use of drugs as a chemical restraint is never acceptable.
In addition to these “chemical straightjackets,” long-term use of chemical restraints can lead to diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, central nervous system disorder, and Parkinsonism, as well as liver, kidney, pancreas and other organ damage.