Physical therapists have a tool belt loaded with testing and instrumentation used to determine fall risk. Some are simple and take a few seconds, some are complex and extremely expensive. We have...
Grassley demands answers from CMS on psychotropic drug investigations
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Feb 23, 2023
Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) is demanding to know why federal regulators find it a “burden” to audit nursing homes with a high rate of prescribing psychotropic drugs to residents.
Also in the News for Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022
By
Joe Bush
Nov 23, 2022
Nursing home staffing emergencies cost Massachusetts taxpayers $82 million … Senate Finance Committee Chairmen comment on HHS OIG report on nursing home psychotropics … AARP releases latest Public...
CMS, OIG agree on increasing scrutiny of psychotropic drug use
By
Joe Bush
Nov 18, 2022
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will be increasing its oversight of the use of psychotropic drugs to pay closer attention to certain classes, warned the lead author of a federal report identifying...
F-tags study reveals common misuses of psychotropic drugs in LTC
By
Alicia Lasek (f3)
May 13, 2022
A study of deficiency-of-care citations in nursing homes offers lessons on reducing over-reliance on psychotropics in residents with dementia, investigators say.
Brief training for LTC nurses leads to 6 months of reduced psychotropics use
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 26, 2021
Wards with trained nurses showed a significant reduction in psychotropic drug use and drug costs. Maintenance strategies may be needed, however, as the improvements had waned by 12 months, researchers...
Meds won’t ease seniors’ loneliness, but ‘social prescribing’ can help, geriatricians say
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 28, 2021
Some lonely seniors are prescribed psychotropic drugs at double the rate of their non-lonely peers, a new study finds. But these medications may not alleviate their problems, the researchers say.
Psychotropics filled at same rate for community dwellers and LTC residents with dementia
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 19, 2020
Nearly three-quarters of community-dwelling older adults with dementia fill prescriptions for psychotropic drugs, similar to the prescription rate in eldercare facilities, a new study has found.
10 tips to avoid survey problems
By
Robert Figlerski, Ph.D.
Elizabeth Borntrager
Oct 12, 2018
Here are some suggestions to help guide facilities towards the goal of optimal psychotropic medication management so they can better manage the health of residents and position themselves for success during...
High nurse workload may increase inappropriate psychotropic prescribing in SNFs, study says
By
Sep 25, 2017
Older nursing home residents and those with more severe psychiatric symptoms may receive more appropriate psychotropic prescriptions than others, a new study suggests.