Bente’s husband, Helge Foosnæs, is relieved and satisfied. – It is reassuring to experience that it is taken seriously, he says. He is the spokesperson for three husbands who sent a report of concern. Their wives live at Namso’s health center in Trøndelag. They have dementia and were given antipsychotics to calm them down for many months. All three women suffered serious side effects. Two of them had crooked backs. Bente got blisters and open sores on her face, and her tongue swelled up. – I have found the case very frightening, says Helge. So far, only he and Bente have received an answer: Now the State Administrator has determined that the doctor at the nursing home broke the law. Bente did not receive appropriate treatment. news has written a number of cases about the use of such tablets, which are commonly given to patients with dementia in Norwegian nursing homes. Bente wandered a lot Bente moved to Namso’s health center last year. After just two days, she was given antipsychotics. It is a drug that can be given if dementia patients with Alzheimer’s are a danger to themselves or others, and are significantly aggressive. All other environmental measures must be tried first. It is stated in national guidelines. Bente was not a danger to anyone. On the contrary, writes the Statsforvalteren. “It is described in the medical record that the patient has not been aggressive. The state administrator finds that the patient’s main problem was wandering, that she was seeking contact with fellow residents and carers.” – This type of medicine can have serious side effects. There is very little evidence that walking is affected at all by using this type of medication. This is what county doctor Jan Vaage at the State Administrator in Trøndelag tells news. He says that there was no sufficient basis for giving the tablets to Bente. Warnings when using antipsychotics Antipsychotics are drugs that are supposed to work against symptoms of serious mental illness. Such as schizophrenia. It can lead to a number of side effects. The Joint Catalog states the following: Common side effects: Abnormal posture (dystonia) such as a crooked back. It can affect any part of the body. Involuntary movements are common. Antipsychotics increase the risk of stroke or early death. Very common side effects: Throbbing, drooling, tremors and jerky movements. The use of the medicine is restrictive if it is given to elderly people with dementia. Use should only be short-term. Not all patients with dementia can receive the drug, it only applies to those with Alzheimer’s dementia or vascular dementia, according to guidelines from the Directorate of Health. Bente just liked to walk and wanted to have contact with residents and carers. She did not need antipsychotics, writes the Statsforvalteren. Photo: Rita Kleven Broke the law Now the State Administrator has determined that both the doctor at the nursing home and Namsos municipality broke the law. This is what the State Administrator writes: “The State Administrator in Trøndelag has come to the conclusion that the treatment with Risperdal and Seroquel was not justifiable. It is a breach of the Health Personnel Act”. “The patient’s relatives have not had their right to information fulfilled. It is a breach of the Patient and User Rights Act”. The state administrator places particular emphasis on the lack of indication for giving the tablets to Bente and that the treatment was prolonged. There was also no system for reporting possible side effects. County doctor Jan Vaage in Trøndelag says antipsychotics do little to prevent wandering in dementia patients. Photo: Rune A. Hansen / news Warns against the tablet trend Bente’s case is not unique, and therefore the case is of fundamental interest, says county doctor Jan Vaage. – A lot of drugs are used to improve the behavior of patients with dementia in nursing homes in Norway. Far beyond what is actually recommended, he says. news has revealed that this type of medicine is given to patients with dementia when there are few carers on duty in nursing homes. Research shows a significant use of antipsychotics in dementia patients. – It is an expression of a trend which, from a professional point of view, does not measure up, says the county doctor. Bente’s husband, Helge Foosnæs, is satisfied that the case is being treated seriously. Bente suffered serious side effects, he told no one about the tablets that were given. Photo: Rita Kleven Didn’t find out about the tablets It was Bente’s husband, Helge Foosnæs, who himself discovered and had the use of antipsychotics stopped. In the letter he has received from the State Administrator, it is stated that, as the next of kin, he has not been granted the right to receive information about the use of medicine. It is a violation of the law. news has previously told about a number of other relatives who have told the same thing. Doctors have not told about this type of medicine use. Practice must change Now the State Administrator is asking that Namsos municipality, which is responsible for the nursing home, draw up a plan to correct the conditions. “The state administrator asks Namsos municipality to draw up a plan for correcting the conditions, so that medication with antipsychotics for the demented takes place in a responsible manner, and that the patient and next of kin receive information in accordance with the law”. That work is now underway, says business manager Jane Tingstad in Namsos municipality. – This is a matter we take seriously, and not least it is regrettable for the user and relatives, she says. The municipality is now looking at what can be done to prevent it from happening again. – Part of what we are working on now is a review of internal routines. If they are the routines we have followed, and if there is a need for change or new routines, she writes in an e-mail to news. Here is the full email. Does he feel understood The decision means a lot to Bente’s husband. – We feel we have lost legal certainty and privacy in this case. Now I feel it is understood. It means a lot. Now two other husbands are waiting for a decision. Their two wives got crooked backs after receiving antipsychotics for six and ten months at Namso’s health center last year. news has said that an investigation has been opened against two doctors who were at the health center at the time. In order to prevent incorrect medication of dementia patients in nursing homes, sufficient staffing and carers with expertise are needed, says Helge. The municipalities should also get pharmacists. – There should certainly be pharmacists in the municipalities, who ensure the quality of medication, as is the case in hospitals, he says.
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Dementia sufferer Bente did not receive proper treatment at the nursing home – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
