A New Jersey Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer on Mismanagement of Medication

An increasingly common problem in nursing facilities is mismanagement of medication. Regardless of whether such mismanagement occurs due to neglect or intention, if a resident suffers adversely as a result, a claim for compensation may be in order. If you believe that a loved one has suffered due to improper medication management, it is imperative that you speak with a New Jersey nursing home abuse attorney right away.

A New Jersey Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Discusses Age and Need for Medication
Medical science has advanced in amazing ways over the past 50 years. As a result, Americans on average live longer and are often able to beat diseases that once meant certain death, such as cancer. A consequence of this, however, is that we tend to depend more and more on medications to bolster our health. This is especially true as one gets older. Indeed, the Centers for Disease Control estimates that a person age 75 takes on average 11 different medications in a given year. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that nursing home residents tend to rely on medications—all the more reason, as a New Jersey nursing home abuse attorney can attest, why management of medications by staff at these facilities is of the utmost importance.

A New Jersey Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Explains Ways Mismanagement Can Occur
Your New Jersey nursing home abuse attorney will likely tell you that medication management is one of the most common problems in nursing facilities today. Nurses who are understaffed or overworked may work long hours. Anyone who has worked beyond normal endurance can attest that mistakes are more common in such situations. This is a recipe for disaster when it comes to administration of medication.

A New Jersey nursing home abuse attorney will tell you that it is not uncommon for patients to be given the wrong medication or for medication that was meant for one patient to go to another inadvertently. Dosage is very important as well. Should a patient be given too much or too little of a life-sustaining drug, serious injury can result. For instance, medication for hypertension can be a lifesaver, but it is one of the most dangerous drugs should one take too large a dose.

In some cases, nurses allegedly over-medicate unruly residents intentionally in order to subdue them. If a drug has not been prescribed with knowledge of other medications the individual is taking, the result can be serious and even deadly. A New Jersey nursing home abuse attorney will tell you that this is an increasing problem in nursing homes today. The reason for this is possibly linked to laws enacted that restrict the use of restraints to subdue patients. Drugging the resident into submission, therefore, is becoming the method of choice, albeit not an appropriate or even legal one.

Look for signs that your loved one is being prescribed medication inappropriately:

• Fatigue that is unusual or unexplained
• Confusion, delirium
• Disorientation
• Withdrawal
• Oversleeping
• Changes in emotional behavior

Contact a New Jersey Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Today 

If you believe that a loved one’s medication is being mismanaged, speak with a New Jersey nursing home abuse attorney right away. Call Gerald H. Clark to arrange a consultation at 877-841-8855.