Overuse of Medication in Dementia Patients

Adding to recent discussions on medicating dementia patients with anti-psychotic medications, I have a new article bring to your attention. The New York Times ran an article by Laurie Tarkan about the overuse of anti-psychotic medications in dementia patients and under use of Alzheimer's medications. This comes on the tails of the FDA mandating black box warnings for older anti-psychotic medications in addition to the warnings on the newer, atypical anti-psychotics that use of the medications may lead to an earlier death.

Tarkan points out that roughly one-third of nursing home patients have been on anti-psychotic medications and that these types of drugs are overused in nursing facilities. Despite the efforts of some homes to provide emotional and behavioral treatments other than medications, most nursing homes "are short staffed, and insurers do not generally pay for the attentive medical care and hands-on psychosocial therapy that advocates recommend. It is much easier to use sedatives and anti-psychotics, despite their side effects," Tarkan suggests.

So, with all this recent coverage of over-medicating dementia patients, what are your thoughts? Are doctors over-prescribing anti-psychotic medications to dementia patients? Are nursing homes advocating medication because they don't have enough staff or resources to handle behavioral issues? What can families do to ensure their loved ones with dementia are getting the best care possible?

Read the full New York Times article and recent blog posts then share your thoughts.