Over the last six years, nursing homes in South Dakota have experienced a 22.6 percent reduction in the number of residents who receive antipsychotic medication. Nationwide the decrease was 36.6 percent over the same time period, with some states achieving a reduction of more than 40 percent.
South Dakota currently ranks 36 out of 50 with 16.7 percent of nursing home residents currently receiving antipsychotic medications. Residents diagnosed with schizophrenia, Huntington’s disease or Tourette’s syndrome are excluded from tracking. See the full report for more details.
Tracking the use of antipsychotic drugs by long-stay nursing home residents was implemented by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as part of the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes. The overall goal is to improve the quality of care for residents with a specific focus on protecting residents from being prescribed antipsychotic medications unless there is a valid, clinical indication and a systematic process to evaluate each person’s needs.
