"It is a form of elder abuse. It's chemical restraint -- no less pernicious and insidious than physical restraint of patients -- and it should be stopped," Blumenthal said.
During a press conference at the Capitol, Blumenthal announced that he has introduced a bill to crack down on the overprescription of these off-label drugs. At the same time, health care advocates and advocates for the elderly announced that they have formed a statewide coalition that aims to reduce this type of off-label antipsychotic drug use in Connecticut by 15 percent.Both Blumenthal and the coalition are trying to combat the practice of giving agitated or confused dementia patients antipsychotic drugs, such as Risperidone, Quetiapine and Olanzapine, to calm them down.
This type of "off-label" use has not been approved by the FDA. These drugs can cause excessive sedation and unresponsiveness and can increase the risk of stroke and death in fragile, elderly patients, Blumenthal said.
Connecticut nursing homes use off-label antipsychotic drugs 24 percent to 65 percent of the time, while the national average is 23.9 percent, said Nancy B. Shaffer, state ombudsman for the state's office of long-term care.
"We have some work to do," she said.
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Blumenthal, advocates for elderly target 'chemical restraint' abuse at care facilities
Thanks to Sen. Blumental this long overdue problem will finally be addressed in CT.
ReplyDeleteI'm liking Senator Blumenthal!
ReplyDeleteThank you Senator Blumental.
ReplyDeleteThere is so much more to do. Next stop go after the predators human trafficking the Ill Disabled and Elderly for their assets.
This is exactly what was done to my Mom. She was given Abilify the first time Mary P. Giordano and Anne Recht and Judge Joel Asarch locked her up in the assisted living facility in November 2010, until her death in the nursing home in October, 2011. While it did in fact keep my mother in a drugged up state and too frightened to leave on her own, it did not stop her from crying and pleading to go home. This drug also made her paranoid, gave her a horrific rash all over her body, and she consistently stated she just wanted to die. I pray that this barbaric practice is stopped. There is no excuse for it. It is done so those who incarcerate the elderly and disabled can state that the individual appears to be "happy" and "content" and "acclimating well" to their new environment, as Mary Giordano consistently stated in her letters and e-mails to Judge Joel Asarch during my mother's confinement and ultimate death.
ReplyDeleteLet's hope Senator Richard Blumenthal replaces Senator Herb Kohl as chair of the Senate Special Committee on Aging this year!
ReplyDeleteI hope Senator Blumenthal is successful. This is such an important issue.
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