Earlier quoted context omitted.
If the alternatives are a doctor who cares and a doctor who doesn't then the choice is clear. But it is really difficult staying enthusiastic about treating someone, long term, who is never going to repay any extra efforts. Caring for the elderly/infirm is a really gruelling experience. It seems quite likely that there physically are not enough doctors who have the mental stamina to do that. The options the average p…
Also, these facilities optimize down their number of employees to practically guarantee that they're all overworked. It's impossible to care in an environment like that - if someone has spare time to do anything beyond the rubric, then that is an avenue for optimization. The only thing holding them back is state regulations, and that doesn't make for a good outcome. This article strikes a chord with me. After a long…
Phony diagnoses hide high rates of drugging at nursing homes
241–250 of 339 posts
Re: Phony diagnoses hide high rates of drugging at nursing homes
#242Earlier quoted context omitted.
Haloperidol is absolutely a powerful sedative (amongst its other effects). This isn’t a misplaced claim or hyperbole, it is used (and I have used it) to sedate agitated patients in hospitals. I mean, it actually sounds like you don’t really know what you’re talking about. It’s not quite in our ‘take down’ class of drugs (think meth patient in the emergency room) but it sure as hell knocks patients out in IV/IM admini…
Having sedating properties is not the same as being a powerful sedative. If they had said it was used because it can be sedating, I wouldn't have said a word.
The other day I read an article in the paper about a woman’s journey with uterine fibroids and how it had affected her life. It contained a large amount of misinformation that my partner (obs and gynae doctor) objected to strongly but at the end of the day it’s been published and that’s that. But in this case what you’re objecting to isn’t even incorrect information.
I mean, the first typical antipsychotic, Thorazine was literally called ‘a lobotomy in a pill’. The trade name, Largactil, is because it was ‘large acting’ in basically turning the patient into a walking vegetable.
This is at a point in the history of psychology when asylums were being shut down and over the next few decades the large numbers of people who had previously been held in often awful conditions were released into society, and despite the literal sledgehammer effect of these ‘typical antipsychotics’, any side-effects we’re considered mild in comparison to not having them. Until the extrapyramidal effects started showing up.
Haloperidol acts on the same system as Thorazine.
Re: Phony diagnoses hide high rates of drugging at nursing homes
#243Antipsychotics are not something to be handed out like candy. They have serious, sometimes permanent and sometimes fatal, side effects in anyone of any age. The article notes how that class of medication increases mortality in elderly people in particular. The fact that some people were prescribed haloperidol as the first line of treatment instead of a newer, safer antipsychotics also blows my mind. I'm terrified of…
> I'm terrified of growing old in this country. This is what convinced me to have as many children as possible. Hopefully at least one of them will care about me enough to not let this sort of thing happen to me.
Re: Phony diagnoses hide high rates of drugging at nursing homes
#244Earlier quoted context omitted.
It'd be remiss to not note most of the time in culture where multi generational family units are the norm, responsibility lands on women in the home or household support in extended families and the economy doesn't often require two incomes to be middle class.
This. But would also add 1) live in socialist countries that provide home care, or 2) or live in countries where there is extremely cheap labor due to endemic poverty (much of the third world), low rates of labor participation, or imported labor (HK/Singapore/Gulf states)
Re: Phony diagnoses hide high rates of drugging at nursing homes
#245Earlier quoted context omitted.
There is a big difference between murdering someone and detaining someone for a day if a trained professional believes there is a high risk of suicide.
Believing unaccountable decisions placed in the hands of powerful doctors without recourse results in a professional suicide assessment is not what actually happens. You may be detained for no reason and have no recourse. They may pump drugs into you.
Re: Phony diagnoses hide high rates of drugging at nursing homes
#246Phony Diagnoses not just at nursing homes, also in mental facilities. Was really surprised (better word-traumatized) that one flippant casual mention of not valuing my life in a private text message was enough to to get me detained by police in a facility for a night. "Doctor" threatened me with drugging just because I refused to answer some of their questions and instead insisted on a lawyer. Funny how freedoms can…
Re: Phony diagnoses hide high rates of drugging at nursing homes
#247So in the USA today we have: 1) Both adults working long hours to move up the corporate ladder, neglecting their kids and their elderly parents in order to afford the rent etc. 2) Kids are stuck in public school as a glorified "day care center", and if they fidget or can't sit still they are diagnosed with ADHD and given amphetamines like adderal and ritalin. Boys are diagnosed with ADHD more than girls, for perhaps…
Re: Phony diagnoses hide high rates of drugging at nursing homes
#248Earlier quoted context omitted.
There is a big difference between murdering someone and detaining someone for a day if a trained professional believes there is a high risk of suicide.
Believing unaccountable decisions placed in the hands of powerful doctors without recourse results in a professional suicide assessment is not what actually happens. You may be detained for no reason and have no recourse. They may pump drugs into you.
Any ideas of how to fix it?
Re: Phony diagnoses hide high rates of drugging at nursing homes
#249Earlier quoted context omitted.
When I traveled to the east coast near DC to help take care of my mother in her final years I talked with some people about my work with startups and the tech side projects I was developing and not only did they all think I was completely crazy but I got referred to a psychiatrist who was insistent that I should get started on antipsychotic medications right away.
Why would talking about tech make people think you're crazy?
Re: Phony diagnoses hide high rates of drugging at nursing homes
#250So in the USA today we have: 1) Both adults working long hours to move up the corporate ladder, neglecting their kids and their elderly parents in order to afford the rent etc. 2) Kids are stuck in public school as a glorified "day care center", and if they fidget or can't sit still they are diagnosed with ADHD and given amphetamines like adderal and ritalin. Boys are diagnosed with ADHD more than girls, for perhaps…
Just curious: Has a government project involving throwing trillions of dollars at something ever worked out as intended? It’s a serious question, I’m trying to think of a time it’s easier worked and I can’t.