Nursing Homes In Massachusetts will not get a federal grant to help them drive down use of antipsychotic drugs. In Kansas, officials launched a campaign to encourage reporting of elder abuse.
Boston Globe: Nursing Homes Miss Out On Aid Targeting Antipsychotic Drugs
Massachusetts nursing homes, which recently pledged to lower their rate of antipsychotic use by 15 percent this year, found out Friday that they will not be receiving a coveted federal grant that would have helped fund the initiative to drive down inappropriate use of the powerful sedatives. Under the proposal, developed by researchers at the University of Massaschusetts Medical School, nursing home staff would be trained on alternative methods of managing difficult behaviors by residents, particularly those with dementia, instead of relying on antipsychotic drugs to calm them (Lazar, 6/16).