Drug Injuries Raise Questions Regarding California Nursing Home Abuse
| July 6th, 2015
Nursing home abuse can be defined as any willful or negligent act that causes harm to an elderly patient. One of the most common forms of nursing home abuse being reported today involves giving patients medications that may be unsafe. Our California nursing home abuse lawyers at Berg Injury Lawyers point out that antipsychotic medications are often given to patients as a form of “chemical restraint”, regardless of warnings from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) saying the drugs may be unsafe for elderly patients to use. Haldol is one of the medications in question. The drug is typically used to treat patients suffering from a range of mental disorders, but sometimes the drug is used on nursing home patients as a means to control behavior. The practice is considered unsafe since data indicate the drug has been linked to heart failure in elderly patients. An article from ABC 10 News highlighted the story of a woman who lost her mother after nursing home staff administered the drug. The victim was considered healthy when she checked into the nursing home, but within two weeks her condition began to deteriorate rapidly and she died a short time later. The family of the victim has filed a complaint against the nursing home, claiming their actions are directly responsible for her loss. At Berg Injury Lawyers, we recognize the risks that can come with administering a medication to a patient. That’s why our California personal injury lawyers suggest being fully aware of any medications a nursing home may be distributing to your loved one.
