Policy news
NEW YORK STATE DEPT OF HEALTH MUST DO MORE TO ENSURE RESIDENT HEALTH & SAFETY
The Office of the Comptroller released an audit that found the NYS Department of Health (DOH) efforts and transparency were controlled by the prior Executive’s narrative, and often misled the public, including when it came to the number of nursing home resident deaths. The audit also found that DOH was unprepared to respond to infectious
The Misuse of Antipsychotics in Nursing Homes Must Stop
The misuse of antipsychotics in nursing homes is a form of chemical restraint and is abuse. Yet, these drugs are given to residents, many of whom are living with dementia, even though these drugs have an FDA “black box” warning against the use of these drugs for those residents. These drugs are associated with a significant increase in death, when given to older adults with dementia, and greatly increase the risk of falls, strokes, and other adverse events.