What is it about ?
Medicines pose particular problems in older people. These people often suffer from several illnesses at the same time due to their old age, and they must undergo different treatments (polypharmacy). Each of these treatments can have side effects. And different drugs can also influence each other. They can strengthen each other, but also weaken each other, and together they can cause new side effects.
As the function of the liver and the function of the kidneys are reduced in the elderly, the drugs are broken down more slowly, and their dose should be adjusted according to age.
Adequate treatment is problematic in the event of memory loss or incipient dementia. In this case, it is common for the elderly to not take their medicines, or to take them on time or at the wrong dose. This is why it is important to make clear agreements between the doctor, the patient, his family and the home nurses.
What can you do ?
Ask your doctor to prepare a list of necessary medications. Repeat the list each time a new drug is added or a drug is withdrawn. Buy a pill box from the pharmacist and prepare the medications for the whole week. If you find this difficult, ask the home nurses to do it for you.
In older people with dementia, it is best to have someone close to them or the home nurse keep the medications and administer them themselves.
Always ask your doctor what the medicines are for. This will make you better prepared to take them well. Never stop a medicine on your own.
Keep a notebook where you write down the changes you notice. In this way, possible side effects can be detected from the start of treatment. It is not always easy to know if this is a side effect or a new disease. If in doubt, do not hesitate to call or consult your doctor. Sometimes the problem is resolved by adjusting the dose or taking it at a different time of the day.
Currently, there are many generic drugs on the market in addition to the original branded products. Ask the doctor and pharmacist to always give you the same brand so that the shape and color of the tablets do not change, as this can be very confusing.
Prevention plays an important role. In addition to a healthy diet, physical exercise is important, if necessary under the supervision of a physiotherapist.
What can your doctor do?
The doctor begins by assessing your condition. Then he establishes a treatment plan for each disease. It determines whether treatment is curative (aims to cure) or symptomatic (only relieves symptoms). In the latter case, he judges whether the treatment benefits for quality of life outweigh the possible side effects. For example, a sleeping pill can help you sleep better, but can also cause confusion, falls, or the need to get up often to use the bathroom.
The doctor should always try to limit the drugs and keep the dose as low as necessary and the number of administrations per day as small as possible.
The doctor has a list of drugs that are best not given to the elderly. He will check if you are able to handle the treatments. If necessary, he brings in someone to help you. At regular intervals, he checks whether the list of medications is still correct, especially after hospitalization or when starting a new medication.
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