California Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog

This story is flat-out disturbing, and started with a concern we have heard many times from the families of our nursing home abuse clients. It began with Phyllis Peters could not wake up her 97-year-old mother, who was residing in Kern Valley Nursing Home. When she complained to Gwen Hughes, the nursing home's director, Hughes would "chemically restrain" the patient by giving her powerful anti-psychotic drugs to shut her up. Hughes did this to other residents in the nursing home, and three of them died.

In a report from the California Attorney General, Hughes ordered one patient drugged because she "glared" at her. Another was given high doses of an anti-psychotic drug for throwing a carton of milk. Several residents became severely malnourished, and were left in bed drooling and emaciated.

"In a couple cases, elderly people were actually held down, restrained against their will, and given excessive amounts of medicine to keep them quiet," said AG Jerry Brown.

But here's the stunner. Hughes had been fired from a previous nursing home for over-drugging there. When the previous employer was called as a reference for the job at Kern Valley, they failed to explain why Hughes was terminated out of fear of lawsuits (ironically, since now they will become a part of a huge lawsuit). As a result of the deaths, Hughes, administrator Pamela Ott, and physician Hoshang Pormir have been charged with criminal elder abuse, all facing up to 11 years in jail. Lawsuits by the surviving family members, and probably others, are certain to follow. The FDA estimates that unnecessary anti-psychotics kill 15,000 nursing home patients each year.

Source: ABC News

The elder abuse and neglect lawyers at the Walton Law Firm represent seniors and dependent adults throughout California who have been abused or neglected in the nursing home and assisted living setting. Call (866) 607-1325 for a free and confidential consultation.

The Chicago Tribune recently published a brief article called 5 Things to Know about Psychotropics, which I thought I would pass along to you. Here are the five things:

Your rights: A nursing facility cannot administer a psychotropic drug without a physician's order, which by law requires informed consent and a legitimate diagnosis. The standard of care requires that nursing staff must first try to calm patients, and other possible causes of agitation must be ruled out, such as infection.

The consent: Before psyschtropics can be used consent must be obtained by the "responsible party" of the resident, usually the person with power of attorney. The consent must be in writing.

The drugs: What are psychotropic drugs? Psychotropics generally include antipsychotics, antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs. The antipsychotics generally pose the greatest risks to nursing home residents. Remember, antipsychotics are intended to treat serious mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, but doctors may prescribe them for other uses. They cannot be used as a "chemical restraint."

The risks: As stated, psychotropic drugs are powerful, and can cause drowsiness, dizziness and confusion. This, in turn can lead to falls, dehydration, and extreme lethargy.

To complain: As a first step, contact the nursing home's administrator. If you are not getting the answers you need, contact the local ombudsman's office or the California Department of Public Health. Telephone numbers for the offices of the ombudsman and CDPH in all Southern California counties can be found by clicking here.

Source: Chicago Tribune

The Walton Law Firm represents seniors and dependent adults who have suffered neglect or abuse in the nursing home, residential care, or board-and-care setting. Cases are taken in all Southern California counties. For a free and confidential consultation call (866) 607-1325, or fill out an online form.