Overmedicating the Elderly In Hospitals & Nursing Homes
Elderly patients in hospitals and nursing homes are often the victims of medical malpractice. They go in for one reason, and while they’re there, they become malnourished and dehydrated. They develop urinary tract infections, acute renal disease, bed sores, etc.
As a delaware attorney who protects the rights of the elderly, I've found that one type of malpractice that doesn’t receive much publicity is overmedication. It’s so common that it’s been given a name: “polypharmacy.” The patient is given a lot of drugs, many of which have side effects which cause new problems. Then, the doctor prescribes medication to treat the side effects.
If an elderly person goes into a hospital or a nursing home, and while there shows signs of cognitive impairment, the doctor or nurse usually assumes it’s a sign of dementia. Very often, however, this would be a misdiagnosis. Why? Because the side effects of many of the drugs that elderly people receive in hospitals and nursing homes include drowsiness, confusion, and impaired alertness. And so instead of suffering from dementia, and receiving treatment as a patient with dementia, what’s really going on is too much medication.
