Key Takeaways
- Medication errors are among the most common and preventable types of harm in Texas nursing homes.
- Overmedication, missed doses, wrong-drug errors, and dangerous drug interactions all constitute negligence.
- Antipsychotic medications are frequently administered to dementia patients without medical justification.
- Texas nursing homes must maintain accurate medication administration records for every resident.
- When medication errors cause serious harm, families may have claims against the facility and individual nurses.
A Basic Obligation Nursing Homes Repeatedly Fail to Meet
The average nursing home resident takes multiple prescription medications daily. Managing that regimen accurately is one of the most basic obligations of a nursing facility. Our Dallas nursing home abuse attorneys have reviewed dozens of cases where wrong medications, missed doses, or unauthorized drug use caused serious and preventable harm to residents.
Types of Medication Errors That Occur in Nursing Homes
Wrong Drug or Wrong Dose
Administering a medication intended for another resident can cause serious adverse effects. These errors sometimes overlap with cases involving prescription errors that our attorneys also handle.
Missed Medication
Residents who depend on anticoagulants to prevent stroke or antiepileptics to prevent seizures can suffer serious, sometimes fatal consequences when doses are missed. These failures are a form of nursing home neglect that the facility has a legal obligation to prevent.
Chemical Restraint and Inappropriate Antipsychotic Use
Federal law restricts the use of antipsychotic medications in nursing home residents. Our FAQ addresses the question: should a patient with dementia be given antipsychotic drugs? You can also read our full article on overmedication in nursing homes.
Documentation Every Family Should Request
Nursing homes must maintain medication administration records (MARs) documenting every medication given to every resident. When medication errors occur, the MAR and the nursing notes are the first documents an attorney will examine. Learn more in our article on altered medical records and nursing home abuse.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is legally responsible when a nursing home gives my loved one the wrong medication?
Responsibility may lie with the nurse who administered the wrong medication, the prescribing physician, the facility pharmacy, and the nursing home itself. Our Dallas nursing home negligence lawyers evaluate all potential defendants and their respective roles.
Is it normal for nursing home residents to take antipsychotic medications?
Antipsychotic medications have legitimate uses in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, but prescribing them to nursing home residents with dementia primarily to manage agitation is a recognized form of neglect. Review our FAQ on antipsychotic drugs and dementia patients for more detail.
What if my loved one died after a medication error but the death certificate says something else?
A forensic analysis of the medication administration record and nursing notes can often establish the connection between a medication error and a resident’s death. Cases involving medication-related deaths may also support a wrongful death claim through a Texas nursing home.
FREE CASE REVIEW: If your loved one was harmed by a medication error in a Texas nursing home, the nursing home abuse attorneys at Rasansky McKenzie Law are ready to review the medication records and evaluate your case. Free consultation; no fee unless we win.
