The little red pill being pushed on the elderly

[blondebanshee]

CNN investigation exposes inappropriate
use of drug in nursing homes


[link:http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/12/health/nuedexta-nursing-homes-invs/index.html|

[MineralMan]

1. That and other meds.

Nursing homes and memory care facilities often place a high value on maintaining docility and calm in their residents. Why? Because care is easier if the residents don't act out or display undesirable behaviors.

So...meds are used to keep everyone quiet and relatively immobile, so care is simplified and understaffing is more feasible. Zombies are pretty easy to care for.

My wife and I have some experience with this in the case of her mother, who was in several different facilities. We could tell immediately if she was being medicated unnecessarily, simply by her level of awareness and willingness to participate in activities. A couple of the moves were due to that and the facility's lack of cooperation.

She died in a completely preventable accident early this year, in part due to understaffing at the last facility where she lived. Legal action is underway over this.

[demigoddess]

2. I think a lot of medicines are pushed so hard on the over 65 group

all the ads on tv. etc. and a lot of them end with 'and the possibility of death'. I would not take one of those immune suppressing drugs no matter what. And I will never go into a nursing home willingly. I have bad reactions to medicines. They wouldn't like me.

[blondebanshee]

3. Any society, any nation, is judged on the basis of how it treats its weakest members.