Using medication to control a person's behavior or movement rather than to treat a real medical condition is a chemical restraint.

In practice, this usually means a nursing home, hospital, or caregiver gives a sedative, antipsychotic, or similar drug to make someone easier to manage, quieter, or less likely to wander, resist care, or speak up. The key issue is the purpose of the drug. If a medication is medically necessary and properly prescribed for a diagnosed condition, it is treatment. If it is used mainly for staff convenience or discipline, it may be a chemical restraint. In elder care settings, that can overlap with neglect, abuse, or a violation of a resident's rights.

For an injury claim, chemical restraint can matter because it may cause falls, confusion, over-sedation, dehydration, bedsores, breathing problems, or loss of dignity and independence. It can also hide other mistreatment by making a resident too groggy to report what happened. Records such as medication logs, doctor's orders, care plans, and witness statements often become key evidence.

In Hawaii, nursing facilities are regulated by the Hawaii Department of Health, and federally certified homes must also follow the federal Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987, which restricts unnecessary drugs used as chemical restraints. That can support claims for elder abuse, medical malpractice, or wrongful death when misuse of medication causes harm.