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As people age, they often require more medications due to various ailments. Many elderly people take several different medications to combat high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Additionally, there are many people who have to take medications for diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.
Did you know that people over the age of 75 take 11 different medications, on average, over the course of a year? According to AARP, this is true. In fact, seniors account for over one-third of all U.S. filled prescriptions. Unfortunately, many seniors get confused about what medication to take and at what time. For this reason, many elderly people are placed in nursing homes so that their medications are monitored.
Because managing multiple medications is a concern of many families, seniors are entrusted to nursing homes so that they don’t accidentally overdose or take the wrong medication. Unfortunately, many nursing homes are guilty of overdosing patients.
Florida Nursing Home Abuse Includes Overdosing
Managing patient medications should be a priority in nursing homes. And in well-run nursing homes, the staff does give patients their correct medications at the correct time. However, in nursing homes that are understaffed or poorly run, patients are often given the wrong medication or suffer from overdosing. These are both forms of Sarasota nursing home abuse.
Sadly, overdosing residents is a common problem in Florida nursing homes. Some nursing home staff members just don’t seem to care about providing residents with their proper medications. Others purposely overdose patients so they don’t have to hear them complain. It appears that many nursing home staff members are now turning to medication in order to subdue residents that are difficult.
According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a 2010 study revealed that 71 of Florida’s nursing home residents were being given more than the prescribed amount of antipsychotic drugs daily. This is considered overdosing and Florida nursing home abuse. Sadly, overdosing patients with antipsychotic drugs has caused the death of thousands of nursing home residents. Although death doesn’t occur in every case of unnecessary medication, overmedicating reduces the quality of life for nursing home residents.
Legal Help Is Here
If your loved one is being overmedicated, you need to know that this is a form of Sarasota nursing home abuse. At Mallard Perez, we can help your loved one seek justice for the damages he or she suffered. Contact an experienced Sarasota nursing home abuse attorney today at 888-409-3805 for a free consultation.
