Dementia Care & Antipsychotic Drugging Advocacy Toolkit
Dementia care is a growing concern as our population ages and more people live longer with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, particularly in nursing homes. The widespread, inappropriate use of antipsychotic drugs on people with dementia compounds these concerns. Close to 20% of nursing home residents are given powerful and dangerous antipsychotics, despite a “Black-Box” warning that they are associated with increased risk of death in the elderly. Importantly, these drugs are not clinically indicated for “dementia-related psychosis.”
This toolkit was developed to help residents, families and those who work with them meet and overcome the challenges to accessing good care and life with dignity. Each of the following fact sheets and resources provide information that can be used to support resident-centered advocacy for better care.
The toolkit is the product of a two-year project, supported by a generous grant from The Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, in which we worked with family councils and LTC ombudsmen to provide education and engagement on some of the issues most relevant to good dementia care and the reduction of inappropriate and dangerous antipsychotic drugging. We thank the Foundation and the residents, families and ombudsmen with whom we worked for making this Toolkit possible.
Fact Sheets
Introduction to the Dementia Care Toolkit
Dementia Care & Antipsychotic Drugging Basics
Dementia Care & Psychotropic Drugs
Dementia Care Considerations
Dementia Care Practices
Informed Consent
Non-Pharmacological Approaches to Dementia Care
Resident & Family Record-Keeping
Standards of Care for Resident Well-Being
Standards for Nursing Home Services
Resident & Family Councils
Resident Assessment & Care Planning
Resident Care Planning
Resident Dignity & Quality of Life
Resident Rights Dignity & Respect
Safe Environment
Fact Sheet: Standards for People Providing Resident Care
More Dementia Care Resources
Antipsychotic Drugging Data
Antipsychotics By Class
Infographic: Reducing Physical & Chemical Restraints
Issue Alert: Antipsychotic Drugs
Report: A Decade of Drugging
Webinar: Antipsychotic Drugs, Psychotropic Drugs & Pharmacy Services
Webinar: A Campaign Sedated: Dangerous Antipsychotic Drugging Persists Despite Federal Initiative
Webinar: Dementia Care & Antipsychotic Drugging – The Basics
Webinar: What Does Good Care Look Like for People Living with Dementia?
Webinar: Why Comfort Matters: Reducing Reliance on Antipsychotics for People Living with Dementia
NursingHome411 Podcast: How Colorblind Policies Fail Nursing Home Residents