Virginia ranks 23rd in the state ranking of the quarterly prevalence of antipsychotic use for long stay residents for the fourth quarter of 2018 (the latest available data) according to CMS. Virginia’s quarterly prevalence of antipsychotic use for long-stay residents is 14.3, which is below the national prevalence of 14.6 percent.  Since CMS began tracking data in 2011, Virginia has seen a 38 percent overall reduction.

CMS is tracking the progress of the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes by reviewing publicly reported measures. The official measure of the Partnership is the percentage of long-stay nursing home residents who receive antipsychotic medication, excluding residents diagnosed with schizophrenia, Huntington’s disease, or Tourette’s syndrome. In the fourth quarter of 2011, 23.9 percent of residents received an antipsychotic medication; since then there has been a decrease of 39 percent to a national prevalence of 14.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Success varies by state and CMS region; some states and regions have a reduction greater than 45 percent. A four-quarter average of this measure is posted on the Nursing Home Compare website.

For More Information:

• Visit the Partnership webpage
• Register for the September 10 Medicare Learning Network call
• Send correspondence to dnh_behavioralhealth@cms.hhs.gov