Massachusetts Nursing Homes Targets of Patient Safety Campaigns

I have published posts previously on the subject of Massachusetts nursing homes prescribing anti-psychotic drugs to patients who are not psychotic, but rather suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia-related medical conditions. In Massachusetts in recent years, this practice was exposed in federal court for what it really was: A kickback scheme between anti-psychotic drug manufacturers (notably Johnson & Johnson,) and nursing home operators, who received increased financial payments if they “pushed” these drugs onto patients, many times in the absence of medical need.

Thankfully, public awareness of this problem is growing. Care One and HealthBridge Management corporations, which own nursing homes in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey, have become the focus of a newspaper and internet advertising campaign by a nursing home patient advocacy organization called HealthbridgeWatch.org, and careonewatch.org. The nursing home patient advocacy campaigns are warning people that nursing homes run by these companies have been reported by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS,) as prescribing anti-psychotic medications to patients and residents “At rates that are higher than Massachusetts and National averages”; sometimes “Over triple the national average.” The twin advocacy organizations have reported that as many as 76% of long-term residents of these facilities, who are not psychotic, are administered these powerful and dangerous drugs, despite the FDA’s warning against this practice. HealthBridge Management owns or operates several nursing homes here in Massachusetts, but at least three that HealthBridgeWatch.org has reported as prescribing these drugs to a high degree include the Newton Health Care Center, the Lowell Health Care Center, and the Holyoke Rehabilitation Center.

In my experience as a Boston, Massachusetts nursing home neglect and abuse lawyer, anyone who either has a loved one in a nursing home owned or operated by these corporations, or by other owners, would be wise to seek immediate clarification of whether their family member or loved one has ever been given anti-psychotic drugs, or any similar drugs belonging to the class of anti-psychotic drugs.