CCHR Florida is Holding an Open House for Older American’s Mental Health Week

The rate of psychiatric drug prescription increases sharply with age and community-dwelling older adults are 7 to 18 times more likely to be on psychotropic drugs compared to their middle-aged counterparts.

Clearwater, United States – April 25, 2017 /PressCable/ —

The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), a non-profit mental health watchdog dedicated to the eradication of abuses committed under the guise of mental health, is holding an open house for Older American’s Mental Health Week in order to educate the elderly on their rights under the mental health law in Florida.

According to the Annual Report of Baker Act Data, 13,856 individuals 65 and older were sent for involuntary psychiatric examination in 2015. While this is only about 7% of the total number of initiated involuntary examinations, it is known that there is a real danger of harm being caused in the transfer of senior citizens from long-term care facilities to Baker Act facilities[1] and the Florida chapter of CCHR is holding an open house for Older American’s Mental Health Week in order to educate seniors and their care givers on the over drugging of seniors and patient rights under the Baker Act.

Throughout the month of May CCHR is inviting the public to visit their center at 109 N. Fort Harrison Ave in downtown Clearwater where they can learn more about patient rights under the mental health law, commonly referred to as the Baker Act, and the dangerous trend of drugging the elderly.

“The number of retirement-age Americans taking at least three psychiatric drugs more than doubled between 2004 and 2013,” said Diane Stein, President CCHR Florida. “Almost half of these seniors had no mental health diagnosis on record and this abuse needs to be investigated and stopped.”[2]

It is know that the rate of psychiatric drug prescription increases sharply with age and that community-dwelling older adults are 7 to 18 times more likely to be on psychotropic drugs compared to their middle-aged counterparts. Even more disturbing is that the statistics are worse for those diagnosed with dementia. According to the Office of the Inspector General, 304,983 elderly nursing home residents in the U.S. were given dangerous and often deadly antipsychotic drugs, of which 88% were prescribed off-label for dementia.[3]

For more information on the open house, the drugging of seniors or the protection of elder rights under the mental health law please call 727-442-8820 or visit www.cchrflorida.org.

About CCHR:

Initially established by the Church of Scientology and renowned psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Szasz in 1969, CCHR’s mission is to eradicate abuses committed under the guise of mental health and enact patient and consumer protections. It was L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, who brought the terror of psychiatric imprisonment to the notice of the world. In March 1969, he said, “Thousands and thousands are seized without process of law, every week, over the ‘free world’ tortured, castrated, killed. All in the name of ‘mental health.’” For more information visit, www.cchrflorida.org

Sources:

[1] A Brief Literature Review of the Effects of Relocation on the Elderly heu.org/sites/default/files/uploads/research_reports/HEU_Literature_Review_Sept23_2002.pdf

[2] Sharp Rise Reported in Older Americans’ Use of Multiple Psychotropic Drugs, Benedict Carey – February 13, 2017 nytimes.com/2017/02/13/health/psychiatric-drugs-prescriptions.html?_r=1

[3] Psychiatric Abuse of the Elderly, CCHR International cchrint.org/issues/protectelderly/

Contact Info:
Name: Diane Stein
Email: publicaffairs@cchrflorida.org
Organization: Citizens Commission on Human Rights of Florida
Address: 109 North Fort Harrison Avenue, Clearwater, Florida 33755, United States
Phone: +1-727-442-8820

For more information, please visit http://www.cchrflorida.org/

Source: PressCable

Release ID: 190427