One of the things I feel most passionately about in dementia care is the inappropriate use of antipsychotic medications. For many years these have been commonplace when doctors, nurses and care professionals have sought to quell the symptoms of dementia amongst their patients, but the side-effects, turning people into zombies and dramatically increasing the risk of early death, have always made them something I am completely against.
We experienced the use of these medications in my father’s early hospital admissions, firstly when he was diagnosed with dementia, and then when he had to return to hospital because his residential care home could not manage his behaviour. It was on this second admission, before he lost half his body weight from three months in the elderly mentally infirm ward, that we really experienced the ‘chemical cosh’ at first hand.
Dad was a big, imposing man, who walked constantly, displayed agitation, confusion and some aggression, and an all-consuming desire to get out of the secure confines he found himself in. For the staff on that over-stretched, demanding ward, the simplest answer was to put him on medication so that he wasn’t a ‘problem’ to them anymore. Our ‘problem’ with this, however, was considerable. Visiting someone who was suddenly struggling to walk and talk, was sleepy, incoherent and frankly even more confused, was alarming to say the least.
Even with our then fledgling knowledge of dementia, we were convinced there was a better way, and challenged the ward staff. Our success was very limited however; they had their policies, and clearly had been allocated a staffing budget that did not allow for the one-to-one care needed to replace the easy-to-administer ‘chemical cosh’, with the more time-consuming and specialised therapeutic care that we were advocating.
Moving dad to his first nursing home brought a refreshing change in attitudes. The staff were keen to remove the medication, and supported by the GP this was successfully achieved. For us it was exactly what we wanted, we had dad back. No matter what his symptoms, we found ways to manage them, and the care home staff were, for the first time, able to get to know the real man behind the dementia, and what a blessing that was. His sayings, mannerisms and conversation all tumbled out, the staff fell in love with him, and this gave them a connection to him that became vital as the years passed and his dementia progressed, slowly robbing him of his ability to shine in the way that he had. Now, with their knowledge and love of dad, they could help him, stimulate his memory and trigger those moments that brought light and laughter into his life.
Our worst experiences of the ‘chemical cosh’ were approximately eight years ago, and thankfully times are changing. A government initiative, combined with some pioneering work by forward-thinking, innovative medical professionals, has brought about a 52% reduction in prescriptions of antipsychotics in dementia patients between 2008-11. Alarmingly, however, there are some significant regional variations that prove the fight against this culture of pumping vulnerable, elderly people with medications that carry a strong risk of hastening their death, is still sufficiently alive to warrant even tougher action.
One of the most disturbing aspects to the use of antipsychotics is the way in which carers and families of people with dementia are often not consulted about their loved one being treated with these drugs. It must be remembered that as well as patients suffering as a result of being inappropriately prescribed antipsychotics, their relatives do too. Not only is it very upsetting to see the changes in your loved one, it is robbing you of precious time that you will never get back, and should these drugs shorten your relative’s life, you will have to live with that forever.
Antipsychotics should only ever be an absolute last resort, something you give when every other avenue, including all therapeutic and complimentary therapies, have been exhausted. Drugs may be an easy option for healthcare professionals who do not know a patient, and therefore simply want to make their own working lives easier, but it is inhuman and frankly barbaric to subject a person to the life these medications will force upon them and their loved ones.
Clinicians need to listen to carers and relatives and be influenced by them, rather than the propaganda of drug companies or pressures from lazy care homes looking for an easy option to manage challenging behaviour. They also need to be educated in some of the pioneering therapies that are proving how you can care for someone with dementia without the need for antipsychotics. Great work is being done in music, art and reminiscence therapies for example, whilst often the simplest things, like spending time with a person, talking, listening or engaging them in something practical that they enjoy or that was part of a previous routine, can make a huge difference.
These are not complex or difficult tasks for care professionals, they just require dedication, personalisation and compassion – three key aspects of successful dementia care. Using a ‘chemical cosh’ could never be described as representing any of these qualities, and if the UK is truly striving for a gold-standard dementia service, then the challenge to any professional seeking this ‘quick fix’ is to find an alternative way forward.
Until next time…
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Mum's dementia arrived with a host of disturbing hallucinations and after trying every other option she now takes antipsychotics. While they don't take away the visions, she's been much more able to deal with them calmly and stayed living more safely at home for another year. Finally she moved to a care home for her safety where, like your dad, she has lost her constant anxiety and rediscovered her zest for life. No decisions are easy in dementia and everything needs to be based on the individual – which is where the NHS seem to struggle so much.
that really rings true with me. my mum was normal until she recently endured eight weeks of hell in hospital. the latest incident is i went last week to find her like a zombie, only to find she had been give an anti psychotic drug without our knowledge, just because nights are bad. i completely agree with you.