Overmedicated and Misinformed

The use of antipsychotic drugs on the elderly has sparked a series of lawsuits and criticism from reform groups and advocates fighting for better regulation and enforcement.

According to federal government statistics, 16 percent of residents in California nursing homes are on antipsychotic drugs. Although these drugs are often used to control and sedate residents, they also pose an increased risk of death in patients with dementia.

To blur the lines even more, the FDA has not approved the use of antipsychotic drugs on elderly patients diagnosed with dementia.

In this segment of "SoCal Connected," reporter Val Zavala reveals the story of retired preschool teacher Aleah Davis, who filed a lawsuit against a nursing home company, Country Villa.

"I always ask what I'm getting, and now I am able to tell when I get the medication what's in the cup. I've learned to ask and I have learned that I have rights," Davis told KCET's "SoCal Connected."

Current law requires doctors to obtain a patient's informed consent before prescribing antipsychotics. A recent campaign to reduce antipsychotic use in nursing homes has been successful, but reformers say progress is not enough and thousands of nursing home residents are still being overmedicated.

What is being done to change the culture of overmedication within nursing home? Zavala investigates.

Featuring Interviews With:

• Aleah Davis, retired preschool teacher
• Matthew Borden, attorney
• Michael Connors, California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform
• Jocelyn Montgomery, the California Association of Health Facilities