Enforce the Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987, which prohibits the use of chemical restraints on the elderly.

In 1987 Congress passed the Nursing Home Reform Act which prohibited the use of chemical restraints or anti-psychotics on the elderly in cases where they were not medically necessary. However, recent analysis has shown that more than 300,000 nursing home residents suffering from dementia are being sedated with anti-psychotics despite having no diagnosed psychosis. Studies have shown that this improper use of anti-psychotics increases the chance of death by nearly 80%, which prompted the FDA to place a black label warning on these medications. Despite this blatant violation of federal law, these facilities and doctors are rarely penalized. Consequently, we must urge the White House to actually enforce current laws and protect the elderly.