Reduce Psychotropic Medication Use for Nursing Home Residents with Alzheimer’s/Dementia: A Quality Improvement Project

There is an increase in residents with dementia receiving care in Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs). As the person's dementia progresses there is an increased risk of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) which include aggressive behaviors, screaming, and yelling. Frequently, psychotropic medications are used to treat behaviors, but it is associated with several risks, including risks of falling, high hospitalization rate, adverse events, and even deaths of the nursing home residents. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are monitoring use and providers caring for individuals in SNFs will have to justify reasons for prescribing psychotropic medication (CMS, 2020). There is evidence of many interventions to treat BPSD. There is a need to translate this evidence into practice to see if we can reduce the use of psychotropic medications.