Beechnut Second Lowest Antipsychotic Use Among Focused Post Acute Care Communities

April 24, 2019

Contact: Rebecca Reid (410) 212-3843

(Houston, TX) – Following a statewide report from Texas’ Health and Human Services Commission that the use of antipsychotics in nursing facilities has plummeted, Focused Care at Beechnut announced a 7 percent reduction in the practice of administering antipsychotics since the acquisition of the long term care community by Focused Post Acute Care Partners and achieved the second lowest percentage in overall use of the top performing communities.

“Our Focused Care at Beechnut team is committed to using the latest evidence-based nonpharmacological strategies that are improving behavioral outcomes in our residents with dementia and other challenging conditions,” said Bonnie Lundie, Executive Director of Operations for Focused Care at Beechnut. “We are proud to be among the top performing communities within Focused Post Acute Care Partners.”

The recently released report indicates Texas’ ranking on the use of antipsychotics in long term care has improved from 51st in the nation in 2013 to 10th in 2018 – that referencing a quarterly report from the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes.

Additional Focused Care communities in Crane, Monahans and Waxahachie have all seen major reductions in the use of antipsychotics from September to November 2017, shortly after Focused Care acquired the facilities, to December 2018 to February 2019.

Percentage reduction rates for the use of antipsychotics are as follows:

• Focused Care at Beechnut began at 17% and is now at 10% – a 7% reduction
• Focused Care at Crane began at 50% and is now 15% – a 35% reduction
• Focused Care at Monahans began at 33% and is now at 9% – a 24% reduction
• Focused Care at Waxahachie began at 32% and is now at 14% – an 18% reduction

The federal agency overseeing the quality of nursing home care, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), sets approved diagnoses for antipsychotics in the nursing home setting for schizophrenia, delusional disorders, mood disorders, Huntington’s disease, Tourette’s disorder and other acute short-term diagnoses. The agency also acknowledges that antipsychotics are typically started in hospitals or in the community health setting and underscores the need for skilled nursing care communities to evaluate the need for ongoing use of antipsychotics when a patient is admitted to the long term care setting.

New care strategies to replace the use of antipsychotics for many skilled nursing residents are proving effective. Long term care residents with dementia, a memory loss condition that is frequently accompanied by agitation and restlessness, are now participants in music and memory and art programs that are successful in calming anxiety and enhancing quality of life.

“Focused Care is pleased to be a part of Texas’ overall effort to reduce the use of antipsychotics in our skilled nursing communities and we commend Focused Care at Beechnut for contributing to this positive trend,” said Mark McKenzie, founder and CEO of Focused Post Acute Care Partners. “Our goal is for our all of our communities to make progress in this area of enhancing care quality and to be a leader in long term care for health care consumers in the great state of Texas.”