| |
| |
| |
Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
 | |
|
Neuroleptic drug use in long-term care
— an inappropriate panacea? | | Author(s) | Brad Hagen, Christopher Armstrong-Esther |
| Journal title | Quality in Ageing, vol 2, no 2, June 2001 |
| Pages | pp 21-31 |
| Keywords | Drugs ; Nursing homes. |
| Annotation | Despite the increasing evidence about the inappropriate use of medications by older people, there is little published evidence about the control and monitoring of neuroleptic drugs used in nursing homes. In the US, the Nursing Home Reform Act (OBRA 1987) was introduced, in part, to regulate the prescribing and administration of neuroleptic (antipsychotic) drugs. No such legislation exist in Canada or the the UK. The Royal Commission on Long-Term Care has recommended a national care commission to monitor care and set assessment and quality benchmarks. In Canada, the debate has not even begun, and the purpose of this paper is not to ignite controversy, but to raise questions about the use of these drugs with nursing home residents. For what reasons should these drugs be given? Are they used appropriately, and are the risks of side effects too great? Are the numbers and types of staff employed in homes adequate or qualified to detect and report side-effects? Are they being used as chemical restraints or to make the older person compliant? This article offers background information that might encourage others to not only review their practice but also to address these questions. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-010718203 A |
| Classmark | LLD: LHB |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
|
| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
| |
|
|