Chemical Restraint in a Nursing Home
Nursing home abuse can take many forms. Some residents are slapped or punched; others are sexually assaulted or emotionally terrorized. Chemical restraint is a little-discussed problem in nursing homes across the nation, including right here in Florida. A doctor can give a resident a psychotropic drug off label for no other purpose than to subdue them. Call Pita Weber Del Prado today if you suspect your loved one in a nursing home is being drugged this way. Patients have important rights, but it’s usually up to family members to step in and enforce them.
What Does it Mean to “Chemically Restrain” a Nursing Home Resident?
Many nursing home residents are difficult to manage. They can act out, often because of dementia. Nursing homes often need to restrain residents so that they do not hurt themselves or others.
However, some nursing homes restrain residents simply for the convenience of staff. And they use certain psychoactive drugs as the restraint, hence the name “chemical restraint.”
For example, a resident might be acting up, making it hard for staff to bathe them. A doctor then prescribes a drug to calm the patient. Typically, these drugs have valid medical purposes to treat actual medical conditions, but the doctor uses them off label solely to control or subdue the resident.
Some of the most common drugs include antipsychotic medications, such as Haloperidol, Olanzapine, or Risperidone. These drugs have legitimate use for those with psychiatric disorders, but they are used in nursing homes solely to sedate/restrain the patient.
Other drugs used to restrain include sedatives like Alprazolam (Xanax) and Diazepam (Valium) or antidepressants like Sertraline (Zoloft).
Chemical restraint is usually effective at calming and controlling the resident. But over time, there are risks with repeated use of chemical restraint:
- Memory problems
- Confusion
- Rigidity in limbs or spasms
- Functional decline
- Agitation
- Insomnia
- Loss of balance
Some residents end up falling and suffering serious bodily injuries, including fractures or concussions. Others will see dramatic cognitive decline and never rebound.
Using these drugs to sedate residents is not necessarily illegal. However, nursing homes must follow strict protocols before they use medication in this manner. Some homes fail to follow guidelines or do not completely document the justification for using the chemicals.
You might suspect your loved one is being medicated against their will. Some signs include falls, lethargy when you visit, or memory problems. Contact Pita Weber Del Prado. We have the experience needed to investigate whether abuse is happening in a nursing home. We can also advise about what steps to take to protect them.
Call Our Law Office with Questions
Families put our trust in nursing homes to properly care for vulnerable loved ones. Too many nursing homes violate that trust. Call our law office to speak with a Miami nursing home abuse lawyer in a private consultation. We can seek compensation for any nursing home resident who is suffering abuse, regardless of what form it takes. We can go over your concerns in a free, private consultation.
