Drugging our elderly.I really look forward to getting each issue of your magazine. I found the story on giving our school kids Ritalin especially interesting. ("Drugging Our Kids," August 25). When I read that the schools receive a lucrative federal subsidy it made me wonder if this is also going on in nursing homes. My father was in a nursing home for almost three years. They so overmedicated him that I feel it caused his premature death Premature Death occurs when a living thing dies of a cause other than old age. A premature death can be the result of injury, illness, violence, suicide, poor nutrition (often stemming from low income), starvation, dehydration, or other factors. . It was as though our family lost all control on what they did to him. I fought hard to get his medications cut or at least reduced. I had very limited success and felt so helpless about what was going on. He was forced on anti-convulsants, anti-psychotics, and antidepressants Antidepressants Medications prescribed to relieve major depression. Classes of antidepressants include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (fluoxetine/Prozac, sertraline/Zoloft), tricyclics (amitriptyline/ Elavil), MAOIs (phenelzine/Nardil), and heterocyclics . It didn't matter that he never had a seizure, wasn't psychotic, and, despite all they put him through, wasn't depressed. Some of the medications ate a hole in his stomach, and he was on permanent iron meds to mask his loss of blood. The people are so drugged that they can't lift a glass or a fork all the way to their mouth. Thus comes dehydration dehydration Method of food preservation in which moisture (primarily water) is removed. Dehydration inhibits the growth of microorganisms and often reduces the bulk of food. and all the other complications. My impression was that this is a long, slow euthanasia euthanasia (y  'thənā`zhə), either painlessly putting to death or failing to prevent death from natural causes in cases of terminal illness or irreversible coma. . MARLENE NELSON Owatonna, Minnesota Owatonna is a city in Steele County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 22,434 at the 2000 census. In July of 2005 Owatonna was estimated to have increased in population to 24,133, 7.6% more than in 2000. It is the county seat of Steele County. |
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