Drugs Probe On Elderly Care Homes

An audit is to be carried out into the use of sedatives and other medication in Scotland’s care homes. The Care Commission will assess around 50 of the country’s homes for the elderly as part of an investigation this autumn.

The watchdog said it wanted to “gather further knowledge” on the management of medication. Concerns have been raised over residents being given powerful sedatives or anti-psychotic drugs unnecessarily. There are also fears some medication could increase the risk of death and strokes.

The audit follows a Care Commission investigation into the case of pensioner Irene Duncan, who died at a nursing home in Aberdeenshire in May 2002. Her family claim she was given drugs to control her behaviour which caused her health to worsen and hastened her death.