Reasons for psychiatric medication prescription for new nursing home residents.

Objectives: This article focuses on justification of psychoactive medication prescription for NH residents during their first three months post-admission.

Method: We extracted data from 73 charts drawn from a convenience sample of individuals who were residents of seven nursing homes (NHs) for at least three months during 2009. Six focus groups with NH staff were conducted to explore rationales for psychoactive medication usage.