U.S. nursing homes are falsely labeling dementia patients as schizophrenic

Bad news!

"Many U.S. nursing homes are falsely labeling dementia patients as schizophrenic in order to use dangerous antipsychotic drugs to sedate them, finds a new Office of Inspector General watchdog report, which found the dangerous practice has grown increasingly common as nursing homes seek to skirt Medicare safeguards and artificially inflate their ratings." (Global Health NOW)

"What OIG [Office of Inspector General] Found

OIG’s comprehensive review of 40 nursing home inspections completed by CMS found instances of nursing homes inappropriately diagnosing residents with schizophrenia. Specifically, our review of these inspections found instances in which:

• Nursing homes inappropriately diagnosed residents with schizophrenia to mask the nursing homes’ misuse of antipsychotic drugs and to artificially inflate their star ratings.
• Medical directors made inappropriate schizophrenia diagnoses to justify prescribing antipsychotic drugs.
• Nursing homes also used inappropriate schizophrenia diagnoses to skirt Medicare safeguards intended to protect residents.
• By inappropriately diagnosing schizophrenia, nursing homes compromised residents’ care.

..."

Nursing Homes Inappropriately Diagnosed Residents with Schizophrenia to Mask the Misuse of Antipsychotic Drugs

Grim Old Days: Pat Thane's History of Old Age

It is probably one of the most remarkable achievements of Western civilization that old individuals can live rather fulfilling lives and don't have to worry much about the next day.

In times past, often older individuals were expected to die off and not hang around anymore and be a burden.

Caveat: I did not read the whole article.

"Summary: Pat Thane’s book explores the harsh realities faced by the elderly in pre-industrial societies, including early aging, high mortality rates, and widespread elder abuse. The book reveals that old age, often accompanied by physical disability and poverty, was generally marked by isolation, familial neglect, and societal contempt. Thane’s volume challenges the romanticized notion that the elderly were once universally respected, showing that industrialization brought both longer lifespans and improved intergenerational relationships."

Grim Old Days: Pat Thane's History of Old Age - Human Progress "He who has made himself dependent on his children for bread and suffers from want, he shall be knocked dead by this club."

Australian Federal government launches new elder abuse awareness campaign

Good news! How serious is the issue? How much is it underreported? Or is it just a fluke or exaggeration?

Nursing Homes Giving Fake Schizophrenia Diagnoses to Drug the Elderly into Submission

If confirmed and substantiated, this is a huge scandal of elder abuse! 

You have to give the New York Times some credit lately: NYT uncovered the scandal of Joint Chiefs of Staff General Milliken and now this one!

I have also suspected for many years that children are overdiagnosed in Western countries with e.g. ADHD and so called Autism spectrum disorders.

"... According to 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.” ...
The share of residents with a schizophrenia diagnosis soared 70 percent between 2012 and 2021. Today, one in nine residents has a schizophrenia diagnosis. The disease's prevalence in the general public hovers between 0.25 percent and 0.64 percent, or about one in 150 people. ...
It’s important to know that schizophrenia is a lifelong condition that usually presents itself in one’s early twenties. It’s exceedingly rare for someone to be diagnosed past the age of 40. ..."

Nursing Homes Giving Fake Schizophrenia Diagnoses to Drug the Elderly into Submission - Foundation for Economic Education In the US, we’ve long known that it is ethically wrong to force medications on people.

Phony Diagnoses Hide High Rates of Drugging at Nursing Homes At least 21 percent of nursing home residents are on antipsychotic drugs, a Times investigation found.