Philadelphia area nursing homes facilities may be using anti-psychotics to replace physical restraints on patients. Physical restraints are illegal nationwide and with estimations of 1 in 4 patients receiving anti-psychotics investigations into chemical restraints have begun.
Using a chemical as a restraint is also illegal but with the number of patients being drugged on the rise it is relatively easy to hide. Physical restraints are visible but aggressive anti-psychotics aimed to restrain a patient are not easily detectable. The Food and Drug Administration has estimated that 15,000 nursing home patients are killed each year due to unnecessary anti-psychotics. Investigations have lead to multiple deaths from chemical restraints and in some cases patients where physically held down and given the powerful anti-psychotic drug.
With the increasing number of loved ones being placed in nursing home, nursing home abuse has also been on the rise. Along with chemical restraints, nursing home abuse can be physical, verbal, emotional, and mental. When loved ones are placed in long term care facilities it is believed that they will be treated with the highest standard of care, unfortunately that is not always the case.
Additional Resources:
ABC News: 3 Nursing Home Patients Killed by Chemical Restraints
