Perhaps you are a senior care professional who has encountered older adults who don’t know what medications they are on, or perhaps who can’t remember why they are taking their various medications.
Older adults represent just over 13 percent of the population, but consume 40 percent of prescription drugs and 35 percent of all over-the-counter drugs, according to the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP). And, according to the ASCP, adverse drug reactions are responsible for 28 percent of hospitalizations of the elderly.
The focus of the problem is really the sheer volume of prescription drugs that most older adults are taking. Here’s what Thomas Clark from the ASCP, who served as the expert source for the program, said: “Medication issues are big topics for seniors. On average, seniors ages 85 and older take 34 prescriptions, including refills, per year. The average number of unique prescriptions for that group is 6.3.”
The top risks were receiving prescriptions from more than one doctor (52 percent), living alone (41 percent), and vision problems/poor eyesight (37 percent).
In fact, here’s a heart-breaking story that a pharmacist shared. Because of macular degeneration, a condition that impairs the eyesight, this man’s 89-year-old dad couldn’t see that the color of one of his pills had changed. He accidently overdosed on blood thinner for three weeks. As a result, he is permanently paralyzed from the waist down. So these issues can be very serious.
Another problem is that seniors sometimes don’t ask their doctors or pharmacists the right question such as:
What is the name of this medication and why do I need it?
What is this medication supposed to do?
What is the correct dosage?
How does this drug interact with other medications I am taking?
How do I take it – with or without food?
When do I take it – a.m. or p.m.?
What are the benefits and risks of the medication?
What are the side effects of the medicine, and what do I do if they occur?
What food, drinks, other medicines or activities should I avoid while taking the medicine?
How often must the doctor check the medicine’s effects? For example, checking your blood pressure if you are taking a medicine to lower it, or having a laboratory test done to make sure the levels of medicine in your blood are not too high or too low.
Do I need a refill and how do I get one?
Is there written information I can take home about the medication? (Most pharmacies have information sheets on prescription medicines.)
Family caregivers can be important advocates for seniors at the doctor’s office or pharmacy. It’s helps to have a family caregiver go with the senior to ask questions and to make sure that any instructions from the doctor are reinforced and followed.
There is an on-line Caregiver Toolkit available for family caregivers to help them have ready access to such information as a senior’s doctors, pharmacy and insurance company, medications and dosage details, as well as allergies and other important documents. Check out www.SeniorEmergencyKit.com for more information.
* The Boomer Project (www.boomerproject.com) conducted a 15-minute online survey of 611 U.S. adults and 290 Canadian adults ages 45-65 who said they are likely to assume a caregiver role for their parents within the next 10 years.
This article was sponsored by Home Instead Senior Care.
