Provider Magazine reported an in-depth piece on medication management’s role in in SNFs, assisted living and memory care communities. Melissa Green, chief clinical officer of Trio Healthcare and VHCA-VCAL Board member, explains her organization’s emphasis on looking for signs of depression, a resident’s socialization, and opioid use as part of the effort to turn residents away from antipsychotics.

In addition, other experts share their advice on building an understanding of the resident’s history and habits, communicating with individuals with dementia, and the importance of getting down or below eye level of the resident.

Author of the piece Patrick Connole summarized, “Making sure residents receive necessary prescriptions on time for pain and underlying conditions, while maintaining a vigilant stance on the use of psychotropics (which includes antipsychotics) and opioids is part of a complex effort that plays a vital role in any facility’s bid to maintain and improve quality while striving for clinical excellence, these experts stress.”

Read the full article: Managing Medications in a New Age (providermagazine.com, January 2020)