TMDA Endorses One a Month Campaign
For Immediate Release Contact: Rebecca Reid November 17, 2015 410-212-3843
Statewide Medical Director’s Association Endorses Nursing Home One a Month Campaign to Reduce the Use of Antipsychotics In Skilled Nursing Care
Data Show Texas Skilled Nursing Providers Making Strides to Reduce the Use of Off Label Antipsychotics and Implement New, Effective Care Strategies
(Austin, TX) – The TMDA: Texas Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine announced today, it is an official supporter of the statewide One a Month initiative aimed to reduce the use of off label antipsychotics in the treatment of some Texas nursing home residents. The One a Month campaign launched October 1st and is spearheaded by leading Texas organizations including, Leading Age Texas, the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS), the Texas Health Care Association (THCA) and TMF Health Quality Institute (TMF), the regional Quality Improvement Organization (QIO).
“The One a Month campaign represents a purposeful effort among long term care providers to learn and implement new care strategies that present effective alternatives to the use of antipsychotics as treatment for some nursing home patients,” said Teresa Albright, MD, CMD, president of TMDA. “As the leading state association for post-acute and long-term care medicine, TMDA heartily endorses the One a Month campaign and commends the Texas long term care community for initiating this statewide effort. One a Month is intended to improve upon the progress Texas nursing homes have made in reducing the use of anti-psychotics.”
Texas recently outpaced the nation on an average monthly reduction of the use of antipsychotics in the treatment of nursing home residents. The One a Month campaign calls for partnering with nursing home providers statewide to commit to transitioning at least one resident a month off of these medications by using appropriate resident-centered non- pharmacological interventions.
“TMDA is a key leader in long term care in the state of Texas and its support and advocacy for the One a Month campaign is significant. “We appreciate working side by side with TMDA’s leadership to reach the goal of reducing the use of off-label antipsychotics” said Kevin Warren, President and CEO of THCA.
Antipsychotics are a medication that works in the brain, which may help to block certain chemicals that can cause symptoms of psychosis, such as hallucinations or delusions. Studies in nursing homes show many times it is safe to gradually reduce the dosage of these medications and ultimately discontinue their use, for residents who do not have a diagnosis for which the medication is designed to treat and is considered off label. During this gradual dose reduction process care givers individualize non-pharmacological interventions to assist with the symptoms the antipsychotic medication was prescribed to address.
TMF’s concurrent review of quality measures in August 2015 revealed Texas nursing homes outpaced the nation’s average reduction of the use of antipsychotics during the month of June 2015. The National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes report in August 2015 lists Texas at 22.7% usage, compared to the national average of 18.3%. Texas has improved in this area since the data from the 1st quarter of 2012, when antipsychotic use was at 28.9%.
The One a Month campaign points out that in one quarter 3500 + residents could be released from the effects of off label antipsychotics and in one year, 14,000 + residents – or approximately 15% – could be antipsychotic free.
A website focused on the One a Month campaign has been developed. Nursing facility providers committed to the One a Month goal can go to the One a Month website and download strategies to help them appropriately reduce the use of off label antipsychotic medications, thereby improving the quality of life for their residents. To learn more about the One a Month campaign visit http://www.oneamonthtexas.com/.
For more information on long term care leaders leading the One a Month campaign, visit their respective websites: http://www.dads.state.tx.us/, http://www.txhca.org; http://www.leadingagetexas.org; http://www.tmfqin.org; http://www.tmda.org/.
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