Issues

By Lee Spiller, Executive Director Citizens Commissions on Human Rights Texas

In the wake of the recent spate of mass shootings, there’s a story you probably missed. It’s about a potential mass shooting that never happened. It was thwarted by a grandmother. (It’s important to note that the defendant has only been accused, not convicted)
The case illustrates why more mental health treatment is the wrong answer to curbing violence.

On Friday, the US Justice Department issued a press release about the arrest of a young man accused of making false representations to a gun dealer while purchasing an AK-47. It also credited a grandmother for thwarting a potential mass shooting.
What’s particularly disturbing is that when federal officials went to his hotel room to recover the firearms, they also found a bag with documents related to his history of depression, along with antidepressant drugs.

Do you have a loved one in a nursing home?

The New York Times has reported on the problem of nursing home residents being given diagnoses for things like Schizophrenia in order to justify giving them anti-psychotic and other drugs. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/11/health/nursing-homes-schizophrenia-antipsychotics.html

Antipsychotic drugs carry an FDA “Black Box” warning for increased risk of death in elderly dementia patients. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2019/015923s095lbl.pdf

As reported in the times:

“Antipsychotic drugs — which for decades have faced criticism as “chemical straitjackets” — are dangerous for older people with dementia, nearly doubling their chance of death from heart problems, infections, falls and other ailments. But understaffed nursing homes have often used the sedatives so they don’t have to hire more staff to handle residents.”

In 2018, Dallas TV station WFAA reported on the drugging of nursing home residents in a series called Drugged and Dying. https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/investigates/drugged-and-dying-some-nursing-homes-are-overmedicating-residents-rather-than-paying-caretakers/287-524150040

In Texas, nursing home residents have a robust set of rights, including the right to be informed about prescribed psychoactive medication and the right to refuse consent.  https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/HS/htm/HS.242.htm#242.501

The informed consent provision was added as specific legislation passed in 2001.  https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/77R/billtext/html/SB00355F.htm

If you have seen a new psychiatric diagnosis or medication change for a loved one in a nursing home, it may be time to question why.

If you or a loved one has experienced abuse or questionable medications at a nursing home contact our office. Call 1-800-572-2905

Join us in asking Texas legislators to investigate patterns and practices of inappropriate medication prescriptions at nursing homes!