Navigating Regulatory Considerations
The evolving landscape of recreational cannabis legalization has sparked discussions about cannabis use by residents in senior care settings, such as nursing homes and assisted living organizations. In Minnesota, where medical and recreational cannabis is legal, nursing homes face unique regulatory considerations when it comes to caring for residents who use or want to use cannabis.
Nursing Assessment
Healthcare providers must navigate individual variations in tolerance, responses, and potential side effects to tailor cannabis interventions to each resident’s unique needs. Nurses have questions about assessment and evaluation of residents who have cannabis in their systems. Because effects like euphoria are expected and not out of the ordinary, there is concern about how much is too much and when to access outside providers or emergency services.
To determine how cannabis should be handled in an individual organization, it is important to bring in the medical director and the resident’s primary care provider in nursing homes and assisted living settings. Physicians and physician extenders should communicate their preferences. Generally, if the resident experiences any of the following symptoms, nursing should contact a physician. This is not medical advice. For medical advice, please contact a physician.
· one-sided weakness
· one-sided sensation changes
· one sided numbness
· tingling of the hands, feet, or lips
· difficulty speaking
· chest pain
· severe confusion or agitation with risk of injury to self or others
· unresponsiveness
· hyperemesis
· delirium
EverCare Consulting and the Minnesota Association of Geriatrics Inspired Clinicians (MAGIC) created resources for organizations to use when navigating this new topic.
Watch next week for cannabis storage considerations.