Not only are nursing homes over medicating patients they are giving them the wrong drugs half the time. I witnessed this when my Mom was in a nursing home for rehab. I thank God I was there to stop this idiot nurse from almost killing my Mom.
You need to be vigilant and be there, don’t think for a minute they have your loved ones best interest at heart, they don’t! I had to quit working just so I could basically be there 24/7 to make sure she was taken care of, and this was supposed to be the best NH in my city!
My advice, if you can care for your loved ones at home, do so. Keep them away from doctors, hospitals and pharmaceuticals. Trust me they will live longer, happier lives.

LynnPO - My dad had a similar experience in rehab/nursing home with Dilantin. At one point, they had to double his dose (due to temporary effects of a surgery). I kept asking if they were checking the dilantin level. They weren't. Plus, you need to also check the free dilantin level. Long story short, dad suffered a grand mal because they didn't lower the dose as his system normalized. On the other side of it, the hospital gave him generic phenytoin (Dilantin) and for him, it may as well be a sugar pill. Dilantin level plummeted and he had a grand mal seizure. It is a delicate balance to attain and keep the right Dilantin level which is quite unique for each patient and I believe that nursing homes and hospitals don't have enough experience with it. Mom was put on an antidepressant to improve her appetite. Instead it caused seizures, nausea, and malaise and I had to fight to get her off of it. Last, Mom's roommate had parkinson's and her complaining and outbursts were very difficult to live with. Nursing homes are a community with people forced to live in very close quarters. Sometimes, for the sake of the community, medications become necessary. It has been my observation that medications are not given unless necessary and the workers demonstrated great professionalism and patience with mom's very difficult roommate.

AND dont forget to ask about pain meds ... used judiciously.

Ive heard several complaints from people i know who said the homes would not give to patients in pain because they were no codes.

TALK TO DOCS !!!

Visit often and ask questions. You should be able to go anytime day or nite.

If they object to either theyre wrong !

In my experience yes they do over medicate patients in nursing homes it was my late grandmother who was so over medicated and full of anxiety do to her deminitia . That and unfamiliar surroundings. My late mother and I never had the diagnosis we needed to keep her at home. Failure to thrive is a catch all diagnosis which at least until recently hospice recognized for reason for admittance.

This is an excellent article from Carol, I'm glad AgingCare has brought it to the forefront once again!

My Mother was in the nursing home for approximately 3 weeks. They killed her with medicines or some alternative nursing group. The regular nurses treated my mother okay to good. One day she was talking and the next day she could not move anything but her tongue to let me know she could hear me. I tried to stop the medicine (every two hours) and the nurse would not let me. I have called lawyers and am still waiting for someone to help me address this situation. Like when do we stop finding out the horror of the new American life?

There is so much I can agree with. Now a days the NHomes have Nurse Practioners that are the go between the floor nurse who administers the meds. & has access to a physician they can call. The nurses are as smart as the doctors. Dealt with 2 NHomes a the War Veterans Home. Part of the problem is keeping good help. The interaction between all the staff members has to be there. They do have to notify the family when meds are changed, withdrawn or your loved one is sick ASAP. There are shift changes for the nurses, the CNA's, housekeeping & anyother position you can think of, alot of folks to run any & all these places. Even when there is a supposed planned meeting with the staff, there is usually more than one person in that meeting & there could be a room full to document & believe me these people document (good CYA). It is quit overwhelming. I lost my Dad..the doctor said to me-go take care of your Mom & we'll do our job & take care of your Dad. Man was I gullible. 2 months later he was dead. Now this is memory care & most the veterans are men & need 95-100% assistance. Most of the helpers are shocked when they see how some of our loved ones with dementia & other mental disorders act, they don't stay in memory care very long. The staff can tell you all day long they had classes or training on dementia (alzheimers) but at the end of the day most people are surprised, shocked & don't understand how frustrating it can be or it is. So staying or checking on my Mom has now become an obsession-you cant truly trust anyone. So many people don't have anyone to check on them or didn't make proper arrangements or see about them until Hospice. I was really green but I've learned so much. The ladies keep notes off & on 24/7 so I have documentation has to how things are going. Blood pressure, oxygen level, behavior or how long it took for someone employed there that is supposed to come when the buzzer is pushed when your loved one needs assistance or doesn't remember where they are or why they can't get out the bed (broken hip or leg). Lack of Employee ratio to clients is great. It is hard work & not meant for the faint of heart. And Assisted Living isn't exactly what I have read or have been told. The agencies that do non-medical care are quite lacking as well. Can't do this & can't do that..My Mom was taking 3 drugs that were considered to be hallucinate so the NHome requested I sign a form to state that she might OD if given incorrectly or maybe too close together. This is the law.

My mother-in-law is in a memory care facility. She became agitated ONCE and bit someone. She was then prescribed lorazepam 0.25 mg twice daily. She is 92 and frail. She was also prescribed trazodone for sleep. When visiting she was always sleeping. We complained and she was taken off the trazodone and has no problem sleeping because she is so over-medicated by the lorazepam that during the daytime while visiting she fights to keep her eyes open. The prescribing psychiatrist refuses to decrease the dose of lorazepam because she said the staff's personal safety is utmost. Obviously the staff are poorly trained if they cannot control a 92-year-old, small lady. She only behaved poorly once and she was then prescribed this medication. We are working on getting her another psychiatrist, someone not associated with the facility. Does anyone know the law in New York State for this situation?

My grandfather was placed in a nursing home because he had dementia.His dementia was overstated.He had just come out of an open heart surgery and was reacting to the medication.His heart doctor said his angry outbursts would subside after awhile.Aunts,uncles and Grandmother put him away anyhow.He was placed on 5 psychotropic drugs,of which were a few,detrimental to his heart.He weighed less than 80 pounds.He slept so much he never ate anything.When we came to take him out,we didn't give him his drugs and he ate like a horse! His mind was clear,as well.Sad to say,family wouldn't listen to us and placed him in this horror house called a nursing home.....and he died.

My dad was being over medicated by the nursing home Dr. He decided that my dad was dying from Parkinson's and put him on Hospice care. I did take him out last fall and he is home with my mom. Still alive with no oxygen tank, swallowing just fine, only meds he is on are his Parkinson's meds and a small sleeping aid.

I am a CNA in a nursing home working with dementia patients. We are STRICTLY governed by the state. No one is drugged because we don't want to answer their call bells! No one can be medicated without approval from their private doctor. We care deeply for our residents and many of us come in on our days off to sit with them or take them outside. Things we don't have time to do on our shifts.
We are allowed NO restrains. Not so much as a seat belt on a wheelchair for someone with dementia who constants trys to stand and falls and hurts themselves. State tells us "they have the right to fall".
We deal with familys who refuse to allow us to medicate their loved ones and I wish they were there to see them screaming, falling out of bed, hitting us, disrupting the other residents. When they come in the resident is happy to see their loved ones and calm down. But so many times as soon as you leave the behaviors start up again. We hear all the time "no pills you'll SNOW my parent". The truth is it would calm them and make it much less likely they will hurt themselves or someone else. Also alleve so much of their pain.
For those judging nursing homes without visiting them I think they should take the time to tour one in their area. Some of the saddest seniors who come in are ones that were taken care of at home who were not on proper meds and have bed sore. Cared for by overworked and overwhelmed families.

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My mom is 96 and lives in assisted living. Since she turned 90 we have been through many stages with mom. Safety must be the first priority. It is difficult to watch but things change. At times it has been necessary for her to be medicated as she has become so frightened "hearing voices" etc. In NJ unless a doctor orders the meds a nursing home cannot just give out meds on thier own. Meds can be adjusted...the brain moves through many stages as dementia progresses.
As far as keeping a parent at home...I tried that as well. It did not work. As parent age...children age and sometimes the parent's general health my be better then the child's. In my case I am a widow in my 70's and if Mom fell or needed assistance requiring lifting...I was not strong enough to help her. An aid two hours a day is not enough. My sister must work and is out of the home 12 hours aday.
My point is "one size does not fit all" most of us our doing the best we can with the situation we are handling.
I do not agree keeping someone at home is always the best situation. I think it is unkind to assume it is.

Correction! I mean that I am going to have him taken off the terminal prognoses.

He is going to his former doctor and neurologist this week. I will have them unterminate him then look out. :) I believe that it is called fraud.

angrydaughter I would look further into this if I were you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My dad was in a home, by my mom, because he has Parkinson's and can't walk. He became depressed and anxious and wanted to go home. They gave him anxiety meds and pretty soon the Dr. declared my dad to be terminal. Hospice was called in and they gave him morphine and soon he was so weak he was unable to swallow so they thickened his beverages and claimed it was his Parkinson's getting worse. He barely ate and was dehydrated. I pulled him out and took him to my home almost three weeks ago. I discontinued all meds but his Parkinson's med and he eats and drinks with no problem. I'm very angry!

I felt my mother was over medicated (she was). I was able to the have the doctor reconsider the decision. I have medical power of attorney and can make medical decisions for her. Possibly your medical or nursing home system is different. Before I considered legal action I would try to work with his caregivers. Unfortunately so many elderly people with dementia are over medicated and this reduces the quality of life.

My father has a dementia but is very happy in his world. He has alway woke up in the nite and tinkered around for a while and then returned to bed. Now that he is in a nursing home in Saskatchewan, because he wakes up in the nite and tinkers around in his room(without disturbing other residents or harming himself or others) someone has decided that he needs to be given a sleeping pill at nite. He is now at risk of falling and rebreaking his hip. What legal action can the family take to have the sleeping pill stopped?

It is an on going process. I was away for two weeks and returned to find my mother's speech was slurred and she appeared to be drunk. In checking the meds a new drug had been added since she appeared "confused". Now I am in the process of having this drug removed. I have been trying now for two weeks and they are still giving it to her. The doctor and I play "phone tag" as I try to get some answers.

yes, I just put my mom in a nursing home last summer and because she complains to much and talks about the staff , they wanted to put her on DEPAKOTE***,my brother told the nurse that he did not want her on the medicine.
yes, they just want to keep them sleeping all the time so they do not have to be bothered with them. I check on my mom daily to see if there is any change in her and if they are giving her a medicine i am not aware of. By law you can ask the nurses station to look at medical records of what they are given your elderly parent. thanks for this site it has help me a lot .

It is not easy to reach the doctor. I have been insulted on several occasions. Once I had a doctor yell into the phone "how did you get my number." Fortunately where my mother lives there are several doctors and I have been able to switch from one to another. I am sure that is not the case in all facilities. It keeps me in a constant state of stress.

In some homes you don't speak to the doctor ,you have to go through the nurse,then they talk to the doctorf ,very sad. Nothing is equal if you understand me.

I am amazed that family members do not have more control over meds. Each month I recieve a list of all my mother's medications. I then research all side effects of these meds and if I see any symptons I speak with the doctor. In the past two years I have found three different drugs that had negative effects on my mom and in discussions with the doctor the drugs were removed. Some of the dementia drugs have horrible side effects.

My mother is sedated by the nursing home and it breaks my heart. They just don't want to deal with her requests so they drug her. We have found that some days she is still almost comotose by noon due to being heavily sedated. I do not understand why our states allow for this to go on. My mother doesn't deserve this and it makes me angry and sad.

My mother came to visit us in CA 81 days in the last 15 months. Then mom had eye surgery and couldn't drive so my sister had to do more. She resented it and talked my brothers into putting mom into a home against her wishes. Mom wanted an attorney to protect her and I called one. Unfortunately she fell and went to the hospital. Her doctor put her on a morphine patch PLUS pills and she went off her rocker. My sister falsified a power of attorney when mom was still hospitalized and they put her in a home. The longer mom got off the meds the clearer thinking she got. She terminated the power of attorney and wanted me come live with us in CA. My hateful siblings lied and went to court when I was in CA and told the court I stole $200K, I falsified a POA, not giving mom her meds, and I brought her against her will to CA. They came and forced her to return against her will to Texas. Now we are in a court battle and the doctor is over sedating her. He states in his report she suffers from hallucinations, memory loss and instability walking YET these are all listed as side effects of the drugs. On behalf of my siblings he is advising mom not to attend court because it will upset her (when she sees me) and they don't want the truth to come out. My phone number was listed on mom's pharmacy and they called that the new prescription her doctor order is approved and ready. So what else are they drugging her with? I also learned that my sister is telling mom's friends they will never get to see mom again. They also, based on lies, got the judge to rule against me - can't believe a 77 yr old judge would issue a permanent restraining order on the youngest daughter of her 83 year old mom. It's been heartbreaking for us. My son will never get to see his grandma and his daughter, my mom's great-granddaughter will never get to see her either. There is light at the end of this tunnel - we filed an appeal because I was violated my due process to defend myself. We have 11 affidavits and 3 testimonies and a doctor's report that argues my sister becoming mom's Guardian. I pray it becomes obvious to the court. However, the time clock is ticking and my mother is locked away for no one to see.

Medicating with mind altering drugs can also happen in the home. My mother, who still lives alone in her home, was prescribed a medication for "depression" at the request of my brother. The Pharmacist called her doctor and was given a prescription without a doctors visit. Even though I don't live near her I call her every day to see how she is. She has mild dementia so is confused but for months she was telling me about people in her home who were stealing her things. I asked my brother if she was on any new medication and he said no that she was making up stories to get attention. I became even more concerned when she expressed feelings of being harmed. I found out that she had been on a medication for Alzheimer's for 6 months and what I thought was real were really hallucinations. She has been taken off this mind altering drug but it has been 2 weeks and the hallucinations persist. Mother experienced hallucinations when she was put on an anti-depressant years ago but they subsided after the drug was removed.

Physicians will not take the time to explain the side effect or adverse effects of these drugs. Caregivers need to be vigilant and informed so our elderly are not robbed of what little memory they have left and end up in Nursing Homes and on more drugs.

My mother was over medicated in an attempt to save money and it nearly cost her life. She has epilepsy and takes a very specific dose of dilantin every 8 hours. She had to go to a rehab center to recouperate from hip replacement. She was fine but in a few days was completely out of it. I asked to SEE - physically LOOK AT - the pills they were giving her and noticed that the dilantin tablet was wrong. Come to find out, that they got a "deal" on a bunch of dilantin and substituted it for her prescribed pill. Though the active ingredient was only slightly more than her normal pill, it was enough to put her over the edge. After some screaming and yelling on my part - they sent someone to the pharmacy to purchase the correct pills and did blood work immediately. Her dilantin level was double what it should be - any more and it would have killed her. It took a week of tweaking and regular blood tests to get her back to normal. I took emergency leave from my job and be there daily to ensure they towed the line. Needless to say, I wrote letters of complaint to the state dept of healthy, Better Business Bureau, the state attorney general, and the local district attorney. Several years later Mom moved into assisted living and the director remembered me - she was employed at the rehab center during this fiasco. She made sure that everyone had training in dealing with seizures & seizure meds and they had a policy that they used EXACTLY what the physician described - no generics or substitutions without doctors permission. At least Mom's close call had a positive outcome for some one.

This is why I am doing everything humanly possible to keep my mother out of these places.
Even the most reputable care facilities will never treat your parents like "family" so, therefore, they do not view overmedication as a problem.
Can you imagine how horrible it would be to be stuck in a bed, drugged out of your mind, and you cannot even express it to anyone?
I think that this practice is all too common and nh staff has no right to be medicating w/o both doctor's orders and family notification.
I think we need to install "granny" cams in all patient's rooms.