I'd rather have all of the doctors from the nursing homes have to sit and answer those questions. Because, no matter what the pharma companies did to promote the products, the warnings about dementia and elderly are in plain and simple language in the rx info, so my question would really be to the doctors as to why they basically placed patients in jeopardy of dying, or worst actually dying.

I also believe there is no difference using the word "dementia" and "psychosis NOS" or "schizoaffective"; I believe the black box warning should apply to all patients. Which leaves anti psychotics to be used in obvious cases, yet that poses a quandary re: what age to call "elderly"? What happens to patients who show signs of dementia in early onset Alzheimers for example? or kids like my daughter?

I believe the word dementia is another one that is broadly abused by doctors to justify anti psychotic rx'ing.

Nonetheless, Stephany, god friggin' bless Sen. Grassley.

I turn 60 in April. My first job was as a geriatric social worker. I did a TON of nursing home placements. My biggest fear in life isn't being in a nursing home, per se, but it's the drugs they dole out to anyone who crosses their treshhold.

Sherry

I understand Sherry, and I do appreciate Grassley's spotlight, on what i feel, as you know is a broader picture, that takes us all the way down to children being placed on these same drugs.

My Grandmother, thank God had a doc at the nursing home[she had several heart attacks, etc.]recognized her "love of pills" she really did appear to have dementia, she was 80 and I was 18. I went to see her every day, and she loved that doctor. What he had given her was "sugar pills". [good old placebo effect]. He was a brilliant out of box thinker who saw her as a person, and he did not drug the hell outta her.

I understand your fears, more than you can ever imagine. I also appreciate all of your smart comments here.

Stephany,
My mother was a criminal, basically. She belonged in jail. She used to drug little old ladies and then clean their house out with her antique dealer friend after they passed out. They'd laugh about it all the way home.

She drugged my incredibly sweet stepfather, then would take him to church suppers. She'd sit in a corner and tell people how afraid she was of this gentle, obviously befuddled man. She was Volunteer of the Year in our state. Who would ever suspect her secret life??? He always got up earlier than she did. He would be clear as a bell, his same sweet self. Then she'd say "Time for your meds" and within half an hour he'd be a drooling idiot.

That's how she got the minister and assorted pillars of the community to go into court with her and have him deemed legally incompetent. We had no say because we were his stepchildren. She had already drained all of their joint accounts and gotten him to sign the house over to her. Once she had him declared incompetent she tossed him on Medicaid and into a nursing home.

Happily, she died at aged 70 instead of the usual mid-80's of the women in her family. Perhaps there is a god after all.

Needless to say, this all kind of cranks up the issue of drugging for me just a bit.