Assistance with managing medication is an important service provided by nursing homes for their residents. Older adults may forget to take their medications or might mix up their prescriptions.
Given that approximately one in three older adults takes five or more prescription medications, consistent and appropriate administration of those drugs is critical for the well-being of older adults. Unfortunately, nursing home residents rely on workers who may have minimal training and who may be spread too thin by employer demands. Workers may make mistakes when administering medications that have devastating consequences for residents.
What medication errors are common?
There are numerous medication errors that can occur in nursing homes. Workers may forget to administer doses of drugs, especially if there are emergencies or not enough workers due to someone calling in sick. Delays in drug administration and missed doses can undermine efficacy in some cases or cause withdrawal symptoms other times.
It is also common for professionals to mix up the medications they must administer to nursing home residents. They may provide the wrong medications to individual residents. Receiving the wrong drugs can lead to dangerous drug interactions, overdoses and treatment disruptions.
Frequently, fatigue, burnout and distraction are to blame for these preventable errors. Older adults may suffer significant medical setbacks in cases where they do not receive their medication on time or experience other administration errors.
Families harmed by negligent care in nursing homes may have grounds for a civil lawsuit. Holding a facility accountable for increased medical expenses and other care costs can help diminish the lasting impact of medication errors and other forms of nursing home neglect.