Eight Medication Risk Factors Family Caregivers Must Understand
The volume of medications that older adults are taking is high and so are the risks. Improper use of medications can lead to disaster. A survey of future caregivers conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care® network revealed that nearly half of their parents (48 percent) have three or more factors that put them at risk for medication-related problems. Among those risk factors – for 37 percent of seniors – is vision problems or poor eyesight.
That’s why the Home Instead Senior Care network has worked with Humana Points of Caregiving to introduce the Caring for Your Parents: Senior Emergency KitSM information management tool and website. The website provides access to resources that encourage older adults to keep all of their information in one spot so that family caregivers have ready access to these vital details in the event of a medical emergency. The resources are part of the Answering the CallSM program, designed to help families be ready for an emergency with their senior loved ones.
“Adverse drug reactions are very common and not always recognized by patient or physician as side effects of a drug,” said Thomas Clark, RPh, MHS, CGP, director of Clinical Affairs for the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists and the ASCP Foundation, who served as an expert source for the Answering the Call program. According to Clark, “Many symptoms may be considered drug side effects unless proven otherwise.”
Following are the eight most common types of medication-related problems that could befall seniors, from the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists.
1. Untreated conditions – The patient has a medical condition that requires drug therapy, but is not receiving a drug for that condition.
2. Drug use without indication – The patient is taking a medicine for no medically valid condition or reason.
3. Improper drug selection – The patient’s medical condition is being treated with the wrong drug or a drug that is not the most appropriate for the special needs of the patient.
4. Subtherapeutic dosage – The patient has a medical condition that is being treated with too little of the correct medication.
5. Overdosage – The patient has a medical problem that is being treated with too much of the correct medication.
6. Adverse drug reactions – The patient has a medical condition that is the result of an adverse drug reaction (ADR) or adverse effect. In the case of older adults, ADRs contribute to already existing geriatric problems such as falls, urinary incontinence, constipation and weight loss.
7. Drug interactions – The patient has a medical condition that is the result of a drug interacting negatively with another drug or a food.
8. Failure to receive medication – The patient has a medical condition that is the result of not receiving a medication due to economic, psychological, sociological or pharmaceutical reasons.
For fifteen years, the Home Instead Senior Care® franchise network has been devoted to providing seniors with the highest quality care in their own homes, and to arming families with the information they need to make the best decisions about caring for aging loved ones. Family caregivers can visit the Senior Emergency Kit Website for more information and resources to help them track their seniors’ medications.
Until next time, if you, or any organization of which you are a part, is interested in learning more, please contact our office. We would be happy to speak to your group free of charge about this subject, our services, or even employment opportunities.
Sincerely,
Rebecca Champagne, Human Resource Coordinator
Home Instead Senior Care
1102 S Braddock Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15218
Phone: (412) 731-0733
Rebecca.Champagne@HomeInstead.com
