Jump to navigation Jump to content

Nursing Home Abuse – Use of Chemical Restraints in Virginia Increasing

Putting a loved one in a Virginia nursing home for full-time care is a hard decision. When you are paying for that care, you assume that your mother father or other beloved family member is receiving the best treatment possible. But what many do not realize is that the use of chemical restraints is on the rise in Virginia's nursing homes. This form of nursing home abuse and neglect is easily overlooked because the warning signs that residents are being chemically restrained are not easy to see. Oftentimes a family member does not realize that his or her loved one is being abused by the use of chemical restraints until it is too late.

Chemical restraints in Virginia nursing homes involve the use of powerful psychotropic medications to sedate or control the residents and their behaviors. Psychotropic medications are generally reserved for those with severe mental illness, including schizophrenia, dementia and Alzheimer's. Most of the nursing home residents in Virginia are not considered to have a severe mental illness and the use of these medications is not necessary.

Nursing home staff use these powerful medications on one out of four residents. Unless specifically prescribed, the use of these medications on patients is considered abuse. Sadly, staff are using these medications for the wrong reasons - to pacify residents and for disciplinary purposes. Nursing homes throughout Virginia are so understaffed that workers use these medications on residents so that the residents will be less of a "bother" during their busy shifts.

Warning signs that your family member or loved one is a victim of chemical restraints and abuse in a Virginia nursing home include:

  1. Lethargy
  2. Dehydration
  3. Falling
  4. Confused
  5. Delirium
  6. Decrease in Weight
  7. Drooling

The use of chemical restraints on nursing home residents leads to an increase in hospitalizations and death. An elderly body just cannot handle that level of medication.

The Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987 specifically states that nursing home patients have a right to be free from chemical restraints used for convenience, discipline, or other non-medical reasons. If your loved one has gone from being lively and energetic to tired and non-communicative with rapid weight loss, the nursing home may be using chemical restraints; you should seek immediate help.

Contact Norfolk nursing home neglect attorney Michael Weisberg toll free at
(800) 690-0235 or complete the contact form on this page to speak with an experienced Virginia nursing home neglect lawyer. Attorney Michael Weisberg has been representing clients in southeastern Virginia, including the greater Norfolk and Portsmouth areas, for over 40 years. Michael Weisberg believes in the rights of nursing home patients and will work hard for your loved one.




Michael S. Weisberg, P.C.
112 College Place
Norfolk, VA 23510
Phone: (757) 622-7740
Fax: (757) 533-9223
Toll Free: (800) 690-0235
Email: info@weislaw.com
www.weislaw.com