Incidents of nursing home staff administering unnecessary drugs increased by more than 78 percent in 2013, as the state continues to suffer a spike in resident harm, according to a study conducted by KVUE news, an ABC affiliate in Austin, TX.
State records show that Texas nursing homes were cited for medication errors 1,060 times in 2011, a number that increased by almost 200 in 2013, according to the report.
The report found that Texas nursing homes are specifically over-prescribing antipsychotic drugs.
“We noticed some behavior issues with him and we couldn’t pinpoint what was going on because he started sundowning a lot,” Sandy Martinez, whose father, Paul Travio, is a resident, told KVUE. “ He wasn’t talkative anymore.”
“We had found out that he was not getting his medication properly,” Martinez continued.
AARP found in a study earlier this year that Texas and Louisiana are among the worst states in the country in terms of inappropriately administering antipsychotic drugs to residents with no mental illness.
“Please understand that something needs to be done,” Martinez told KVUE.
Her father, Travio, died shortly after turning 82.
To read more about Texas’ nursing home problem, click here.
The Kosieradzki • Smith Law Firm represents clients in cases involving catastrophic injury caused by nursing homes and other care facilities that fail to provide proper care, including medication abuse and errors. If you believe your loved one has been harmed due neglect or abuse in a nursing home, take action and contact the Kosieradzki • Smith Law Firm online or call us toll-free at (877) 552-2873 to set up a no-cost, no-obligation consultation.
