Story perspectives

Nursing Homes Accused of Misdiagnosing to Justify Antipsychotics

3/23/2026

Summary

Story summary

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reports some nursing homes may falsely diagnose schizophrenia to justify antipsychotic use.
The report says this can inflate facility ratings and compromise resident care.
It notes cases where residents received medication for non-dangerous behaviors, and diagnoses were added without family notification.
The American Health Care Association disputes the findings, saying the sample is small and trends are not national.

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Story summary

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reports some nursing homes may falsely diagnose schizophrenia to justify antipsychotic use.
The report says this can inflate facility ratings and compromise resident care.
It notes cases where residents received medication for non-dangerous behaviors, and diagnoses were added without family notification.
The American Health Care Association disputes the findings, saying the sample is small and trends are not national.