Nursing Home Staff Shortages Tied to More Inappropriate Antipsychotic Use
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, April 26, 2024 -- Nursing homes with staffing shortages have higher inappropriate antipsychotic medication use, particularly among nursing homes in severely deprived neighborhoods, according to a study published online April 24 in JAMA Network Open.
Jasmine L. Travers, Ph.D., R.N., from New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing in New York City, and colleagues evaluated whether reported inappropriate antipsychotic medication use in nursing homes differs in severely and less severely deprived neighborhoods and whether these differences are impacted by levels of total nurse staffing. The analysis included a national sample of nursing homes linked across three large datasets for 2019.
The researchers identified 10,966 nursing homes, including 17.0 percent in severely deprived neighborhoods. In an unadjusted analysis, inappropriate antipsychotic medication use was greater in nursing homes located in severely deprived neighborhoods (mean, 15.9 percent of residents) compared with those in less deprived neighborhoods (mean, 14.2 percent of residents). A similar pattern was seen in adjusted models, with inappropriate antipsychotic medication use higher in severely deprived neighborhoods versus less deprived neighborhoods (19.2 versus 17.1 percent; adjusted mean difference, 2.0 percentage points) in nursing homes that fell below critical levels of staffing (less than three hours of nurse staffing per resident-day).
"These findings suggest that addressing staffing deficiencies in nursing homes, particularly those located in severely deprived neighborhoods, is crucial in mitigating inappropriate antipsychotic medication use," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted April 2024
Read this next
Benefit of Thick Liquids in Alzheimer Disease and Dysphagia Unclear
MONDAY, May 6, 2024 -- For hospitalized patients with Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD) and dysphagia, those receiving thick liquids are less likely to be intubated...
Pediatric ED Length of Stay Reduced With Observation Unit for Mental Health
MONDAY, May 6, 2024 -- Children with mental health emergencies presenting to the pediatric emergency department (PED) who receive psychiatric comanagement in a pediatric...
Stigma Affects Quality of Life in Children With Chronic Skin Conditions
TUESDAY, April 30, 2024 -- Health care professionals should consider stigmatization and bullying in assessing the social and mental health of children and adolescents with chronic...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.