The preliminary hearing has been scheduled for March 10 in the criminal case against three nursing home officials who are charged with California elder abuse related to the chemical restraint deaths of three patients. Gwen Hughes, Dr. Hoshang Pormir, and Pamela Ott have pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges. If convicted, they each could spend up to 11 years in prison.
The California nursing home abuse incidents allegedly took place at the Kern Valley Nursing Home in California from 2003 to 2007. Gwen Hughes, who served as the nursing home's director, is accused ordering the use of antipsychotic drugs to chemically restrain patients who complained or were annoying.
According to California Attorney General Jerry Brown, Hughes had one nursing home patient drugged for throwing a milk carton. She allegedly ordered that another person be chemically restrained for glaring at her. A couple of the patients were reportedly held down against their will while they were sedated. Several nursing patients who were chemically restrained became incredibly thin or dehydrated.
Hughes was previously fired at another California nursing home for over-drugging.
Nursing Home Abuse
Unfortunately, over-drugging is a common problem at nursing homes. While there are definitely patients who need to take antipsychotics as part of their medical care--about one in four nursing home patients is given antipsychotics--others are given the powerful drug solely as a chemical restraint. According to the Food and Drug Administration, about 15,000 nursing home deaths a year are a result of unnecessary antipsychotics.
A report from the United Kingdom revealed that up to 1,620 strokes and 1,800 fatalities involving elderly dementia patients can be linked to antipsychotic drugs. About 180,000 elderly people with dementia are treated with these powerful drugs in the UK and, per the report, only about 36,000 appear to have benefited from the medication.
Restraining a nursing home patient so that they will be quiet or behave is a form of Orange County, California nursing home abuse.
3 Nursing Home Patients Killed by 'Chemical Restraints', ABC News, January 5, 2009
Attorney General Charges Nursing Home Drugging is Assault with a Deadly Weapon, CANHR.org
Chemical restraints killing dementia patients, Guardian.co.uk, November 12, 2009
Related Web Resources:
Elder Abuse in Nursing Homes, Nolo
Please contact our Anaheim nursing home abuse lawyers to explore your legal options.
