California Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog
For years, elder health advocates and nursing home safety advocates in and around San Francisco discussed the serious problem of overmedication, especially among residents with cognitive impairments. But could a lack of medication also be a problem in some cases? According to a recent study from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), physicians and nurse practitioners have been prescribing fewer opioids in light of the serious risks associated with these drugs and the known dangers of the opioid epidemic.
However, the researchers explain, limiting these drugs could be leaving certain types of nursing home residents in more pain and in situations where they are more likely to experience psychological and physical harm. Our San Francisco nursing home abuse lawyers can say more.
Details of the UCSF Study
The researchers at UCSF analyzed data from approximately three million elderly nursing home residents over a recent 10-year period, from 2011 through 2022. During that time, they noted, “the probably of receiving an opioid declined across the board, even for nursing home residents with severe chronic pain.” While overprescribing is certainly a problem, underprescribing may be a problem, too.
If residents with severe chronic pain are not receiving the medications that could help them to live fuller lives, not only are they in physical pain, but their psychological and emotional well-being can suffer, too. The study was published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.
Pain Care is Necessary for Healthy Aging
Without appropriate pain care, older adults in nursing homes will not age well or maintain a certain quality of life. It is particularly true for residents of color in nursing homes, including Black, Asian, Hispanic, and Indigenous residents. Those residents, the study reported, were also less likely than white residents to receive the amount of pain medications appropriately adjusted to the degrees of pain they experienced.
The authors of the UCSF study suggest that more opioid prescriptions may serve an important purpose in the nursing home context. Although the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently published opioid guidelines that emphasize reduction overall, the lead author of the study, Ulrike Muenche, PhD, underscored that these guidelines likely should not be applied to older adults in nursing homes.
Contact Our San Francisco Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Attorneys for Assistance Today
Many residents of San Francisco nursing homes deal with medical conditions that cause pain. At the same time, many residents have also been diagnosed with different forms of dementia and other medical issues that involve cognitive decline. For much too often, overprescribing medication for these residents has been an issue. However, as the new UCSF study suggests, the attempt to reduce the use of opioids and other prescription medications in nursing homes may have had unintended consequences.
Whether you have concerns about the care your elderly loved one is currently receiving or you want to find out more about filing a claim after an elderly loved one’s injury in a nursing home, it is important to get in touch with a San Francisco nursing home abuse and neglect lawyer who can help. Contact the California Nursing Home Law Group today for assistance.
See Related Blog Posts:
The Silent Epidemic: Pressure Ulcers in California’s Long-Term Care Facilities
How to Find a Qualified Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer in Los Angeles County
