Should nursing homes give high doses of sleeping pills and tranquilizers to dementia patients, so they will stop screaming for a nurse?

Having cared for a mom with dementia for over 2 years now and a mother-in-law with pre-alzheimers, one medication that assisted the agitation of my mom in the beginning phase of her dementia is called "depakote". Her doctor prescribed this medication at a very low dosage so that she is able to control her agitation yet remain calm and not sleepy. This medication "depakote" is normally used for agitated patients with dementia. This drug has been a tremendous help with my mom's stability and functionality. Depakote in conjunction with "Namenda" (which slows down the progress of dementia/alzheimers), my mom's dementia has improved tremendously from the rapid deterioration of her memory.... You need to find a doctor who is truly an expert in this field of dementia & alzheimers....I hope this information may assist you...Good luck to you.....

This kind of overmedication to "control" elderly patients' attitudes & nursing requirements is not limited to patients with demential or to nursing homes... I felt helpless & angry when a friend's 80 yr old father had a stroke which left him with partial paralysis but mentally completely bright. I visited him shortly after in the hospital and he was mentally alert, had a positive attitude about physical therapy & regaining his mobility, and looked forward to leaving the hospital. I visited again one week later, when I could get back up to the hospital, and this time found him strapped into a wheelchair & sitting by himself in the "lunch room", a tray filled with a horrible array of monochromatic mush in front of him. He was drooling, babbling, and didn't recognize me - "Ma'm? Where am I? Why are they keeping me here & feeding me pig food?" - I made a frantic call to his son, thinking he must have had another stroke or other setback, and was told the hospital staff was giving him "necessary" medications "they give to older people" to control his attitude because he was too hard to "handle". I was outraged - what was the problem? Did he expect preservation of some dignity if he soiled himself? To be treated as a competent adult when they addressed him? Unfortunately, I wasn't a relative - had no say - and could only tell his son he was allowing the hospital to take away the only weapon Paul had to fight with - his mind. Sadly, but probably predictably, Paul developed kidney and other issues, and the decision was made (??!) to discontinue hydration & nutrition and just let him lie there for three days until he died... This should be criminal! He just needed the same treatment and help that would have been routine and expected for a younger person - not to be drugged out of the world...

Our nursing home forced my mother with dementia to an in-patient psychiatric hospital to get her medicine set at a level that would control her agitation and aggressiveness. Sadly, while in the hospital, she inhaled vomit and almost died. The medical trauma advanced her dementia and now she barely needs any medication because she's lost so much of her mental capacity. It's a sad story and I feel nursing homes have way too much power over their residents. Our hands were tied. She was either sent to a psychiatric hospital or she would have to leave the nursing home.

When my Mom needed rehab several years ago, the NH immedialely put her on some heavy duty sleeping meds, and tried to get me to admit her to the alzheimer unit. A nurse took me aside and recommended a small dose of a med called trazodone to calm her anxiety, and it worked well. I got her out of there as fast as I could, and she is still home with me today, doing fine and her alz has progressed along, but she is content. So I feel blessed.

Excellent answer. I finally got a Dr. to listen to what I was saying. Mom was in pain, was screaming, being combative and then depressed as well. They kept upping her morphine and adding many different anti-psychotics. I started to keep a log of exactly when she started these behaviors and when they were not effecting her. The Dr. listened and removed some meds and added a new one and my mom is back!!!! I don't know how long this new med will continue to give us the right response, but I am eating up every minute of having my mom back! Good luck!

Well My MIL lets just say isnt a stranger to Precription drugs she started aricept 2 years ago also for 2 years someone has went with her to dr. because she always wanted more pain & nerve pills. Now with begining AD she is on same dosage of all her meds Im taking her in JUne to revaluate all these meds. I think she needs stronger pain meds She complains & if I gave her one every time she asked we wouldnt have any half way thru. but glad I read these post because she is on xanax for nerves I say agitated I dont think it works any more but I looked online she isnt on high dose but I want her to be able to walk.