Health industry experts have given kudos to the Continuing Care Center in Joshua Tree for cutting down on their use of drugs. Reporter Mike Lipsitz explains…
Hi-Desert Medical Center’s Continuing Care Center has been recognized for safely reducing the off-label use of antipsychotics by the American Health Care Association, which says that many individuals in skilled nursing centers are living with some type of dementia. As dementia progresses, behavior often becomes key to communication. This can be challenging for families and staff, and too often, antipsychotic medication is used in an attempt to modify behavior. Michelle Amdahl, the Continuing Care Center’s director of nursing and interim administrator, explains that the staff works diligently to reduce the use of antipsychotics. The Association’s goal to safely reduce the off-label use of antipsychotics is to encourage alternative strategies for responding to challenging behavioral expressions in persons living with dementia before considering medications and to ensure that antipsychotic medications, when used, are as appropriate and safe as possible.
