The KQED-TV (5/30, Dornhelm) “State of Health” blog reported that new CMS “guidelines stipulate that nursing homes are graded on the percent of their dementia patients receiving antipsychotic medications,” a grade that “becomes part of their rating on Nursing Home Compare.” Reducing antipsychotic use “requires new approaches and retraining staff.” The article cited examples of “patient-centered care, which means being attentive to the cues people give and trying to understand what is bothering them even if they can’t communicate it directly.”
Related Links:
— “Calming Dementia Patients Without Powerful Drugs,” Rachel Dornhelm, Kaiser Health News, May 29, 2015.