Intentional Drug Overdoses Can Lead to Death without Detection

Nursing home employees who are abusive and want to keep residents under their control may use drug overdoses to accomplish their goals.  These doses can be subtle and just large enough to keep the resident quiet or asleep.  They can even be dangerous and intended to cause serious illness or death.  Overdoses involve giving the resident too many pills or administering too much of a drug through an intravenous line.  The drugs may take effect quickly, or it may take several overdoses to cause the dangerous effects desired by abusive staff members.  Some of the most common medications for overdosing are medications that can cause changes in a resident’s heart rate or cause seizures.  Smart abusers choose drugs that will be metabolized quickly so no traces are left of the overdose.  This means that abuse can be covered up and a suspicious death will look just like a seizure or heart attack brought on by old age and a fragile medical condition. Having abusive staff members with access to potentially dangerous drugs means the safety of nursing home residents is always in danger of being compromised.  If someone you love has experienced a serious overdose due to abuse, contact an Orange County DUI lawyer for guidance on how to proceed with your case.