According to The Wall Street Journal, new study published in Archives of Neurology, “showed that about half of elderly Parkinson’s patients with psychosis were prescribed an antipsychotic.”  This is despite the fact that in 2005, the FDA issued a “black box” warning to antipsychotics due to an increase in risk of death in older dementia patients.  “Black box” warnings are the strongest warnings given by the FDA and are placed on drugs where medical studies indicate that a drug carries a significant risk of serious or life threatening adverse effects.

You can read the entire article here. Additionally, in some instances, side effects of some anti-psychotics actually worsen the shaking and stiffness that comes with Parkinson’s.  

According to New Jersey law, using medications for the convenience of the staff or in quantities that interfere with a resident’s normal living conditions is illegal. This is why knowing a resident’s medication regimen is important.  All medications a resident takes are located in the records and are available for review.