The “Dementia Care Without Drugs: A Better Approach for Long Term Care Facilities” conference on October 27, 2011 turned out to be well-attended. There were so many people that I don’t know if any other support group member was there??
I will go through the three presentations at some later point, and share any recommendations. In the meantime, let me share the “Did you know….” facts that were flashed on the screen during the breaks. #1 and #2 are incredible.
Robin
“Dementia Care Without Drugs: A Better Approach for Long Term Care Facilities”
Thursday 10-27-11
Organized by Ombudsman Services of San Mateo County (ossmc.org)
Did you know….
#1 – 40 skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) in California have no residents who receive antipsychotics.
#2 – 33 SNFs in California give antipsychotics to every resident.
#3 – A chemical restraint is any drug used to control behavior rather than treat a person’s medical condition.
#4 – Psychotrophics may not be given without informed consent of the patient or the patient’s legally responsible party.
#5 – Federal and state laws prohibit the use of antipsychotics in nursing homes unless it is necessary and required to treat symptoms. Non-pharmacological options must be used as a first resort.
#6 – People taking atypical antipsychotics are approximately 70% more likely to develop blood clots than those who aren’t.
#7 – Using antipsychotics to treat dementia is “off-label” and has a black box warning indicating that risk of death is doubled.
#8 – In a 2005 study, nearly one-fourth of all antipsychotic prescriptions in nursing homes did not include a clinical indication for use.
#9 – Regularized pain medication has been shown to be as effective in controlling dementia symptoms as psychotropics.
#10 – The five senses are not severely impacted by dementia and can be used to provide comfort.