Long-Term Care

LTC providers asked to reduce antipsychotic medications by 30% by 2016

MDS 3.0 Insider, September 25, 2014

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Long-term care providers are being asked to reduce the use of antipsychotic medications among residents by 25% by the end of 2015, and 30% by the end of 2016. The goal was announced on September 19th by The National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care, a public-private coalition that includes the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living and LeadingAge.
 
The percentage decrease goal is based on rates from 2011. CMS said the goal is over 21 months through the end of 2013, the national rate was reduced by 17.1 % — from 23.8% to 19.8%. States with the highest decreases were Hawaii (31.4%), North Carolina (29.9%), Vermont (28.2%) and Georgia (28.1%).
 
In addition to CMS' Nursing Home Compare website including the use of each nursing home's antipsychotic rate, CMS' Chief Medical Officer Patrick Conway, M.D, said that the Five Star Quality Rating System will start including that measure in 2015.
 
CMS released an additional fact sheet on antipsychotics data that can be seen here. 
 
 To continue reading, visit our blog MDSCentral.



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