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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I would try to pay for a 1:1.  You really, really don’t want them getting an order for a chemical restraint — which absolutely IS legal in Md, unlike physical restraint.

On that note, demand to see his current comprehensive med list since he was admitted to rehab.

Sometimes overburdened facilities will ask for and get a new order for a calming drug. from the off-site consulting MD.  Really sketch and common. ie, a bedtime dose of haldol or ativan for “agitation.”   Getting out of bed multiple times makes a compelling case for “agitation” to an off-site prescriber.

Good luck

— an RN[/quote]

DP.
Honest question, what is wrong with this type of medication? Sorry for being clueless but if it helps not fall?![/quote]

It's not all good or all bad.  These medications can be lifesavers when there is agitation.  But, they are heavy duty meds that have side effects.  So you want to be sure they are needed, which means that the prescriber knows the patient.  And, if they are given, you want the patient's condition to be closely monitored.  What PP is talking about is that in some facilities (many actually) the doctors are part time and don't really know the patients.  They rely on the hospital staff to provide the information.  To add to the difficulty, many patients get very confused in new environments, creating an even greater risk for things like falls.  And, that can present as agitation.

I am not PP, but the concern I expressed upthread is whether the medical condition of the patient has been fully evaluated.  A medication evaluation would be part of that.  But, so would blood work.  For example, low hemoglobin could make a person at risk of falls.  And a cognitive evaluation.  OP's father is in a rehab center, which tend to offer good medical care.  So hopefully they are looking at everything.[/quote]

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