Elderly at Risk
The wholesale drugging of the elderly in both private and public nursing homes has reached epidemic levels, with the use of anti-psychotics, anti-anxiety drugs (tranquilizers) and antidepressants.
Patients are being harmed and their lives cut short as a direct result. These drugs are highly dangerous when prescribed to anyone, but when prescribed to the elderly the risks for diabetes, stroke and sudden death are greatly increased.
So much so, that in 2010, Professor Sube Banerjee was asked by the government to undertake an independent clinical review of the use of anti-psychotic drugs used on the 180,000 elderly dementia patients. He revealed a staggering 1800 deaths each year as a direct result of their anti-psychotic medication and a further 1,620 suffered cerebrovascular [brain damage related to blood vessels supplying the brain] adverse events, around half of which, he claimed, may be severe.
In reviewing the evidence, Professor Banerjee said, "these drugs appear to have only a limited positive effect in treating these symptoms but can cause significant harm to people with dementia". As a result, Paul Burstow, MP, on behalf of the Conservative Party announced he would reduce the number of drugs being given to the elderly by 2/3rds by November 2011.
