Nursing homes are drugging your parents to keep them docile — and falsifying medical records to cover it up

Nursing homes are drugging your parents to keep them docile — and falsifying medical records to cover it upListen(4 min)Listen(4 min)A new report from the federal government’s top healthcare watchdog raises new fears about what is happening to residents in many U.S. nursing homes once the visitors have left.Residents are being sedated without medical need to an “alarming” degree, purely for the convenience of a facility’s operators and staff, according to a report from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General.About the AuthorBrett Arends is an award-winning financial writer with many years experience writing about markets, economics and personal finance. He has received an individual award from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers for his financial writing, and was part of the Boston Herald team that won two others. He has worked as an analyst at McKinsey Co., and is a Chartered Financial Consultant. His latest book, "Storm Proof Your Money", was published by John Wiley Co.A Dow Jones CompanyCopyright © 2026 MarketWatch, Inc. All rights reserved.