"The report showed a number of encouraging signs, most notably that use of chemical restraints in nursing homes has been largely medically appropriate," said Breaux. "But the increasing use of these drugs as chemical restraints and the remaining incidents of inappropriate use show us that more work remains to be done. Ensuring the limited and medically appropriate use of these restraints is essential to providing quality care for seniors."
"Senator Breaux and I have worked for a long time to improve conditions for nursing home residents," Grassley said. "It's gratifying to see good news on the nursing home front. That said, it's more critical than ever that the federal government maintain its oversight of nursing homes. The quality of care can fluctuate wildly. We don't want one step forward, two steps back."
The report, requested by Breaux and Grassley, found that 85 percent of psychotropic drug use in nursing home residents is, in fact, medically appropriate. The senators' request was prompted by complaints of over-drugging in an effort to chemically restrain nursing home residents.
The study, by the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, noted that most patients benefit from drug therapy and that most nursing homes use the drugs within the appropriate medical guidelines.
The report, however, also indicated that use of these drugs has been increasing substantially over the past six years, and a full eight percent of these drugs are used inappropriately, but not as chemical restraints. Additionally, a full seven percent of residents' medical records were not even documented and thus could not be considered in the study.
Psychotropic drugs affect brain activities associated with mental processes and behaviors. These drugs are used as chemical restraints to control an individual's behavior, and a chemical restraint is deemed appropriate only to ensure physical safety of others. The report included reviews of 135 nursing home studies and the individual medical records of nearly 500 residents, and on-site nursing home visits and telephone surveys.
Breaux and Grassley have a long history of working to improve the government's oversight of the nation's nursing homes.