Physical And Mental Health Implications Of Drug Abuse Rehabilitation Programs

Polypharmacy, described as an individual taking more than four medications, can be concerning with the aging population. Polypharmacy concerns include adverse drug reactions, drug interactions, higher cost, decreased mobility, decreased quality of life and cognition impairment. Those at greater risk of negative polypharmacy consequences include elderly, psychiatric patients, recently hospitalized, individuals with multiple doctors or pharmacies and people with impaired vision or dexterity. There are times that polypharmacy is at times needed to help a person with their diagnosis, an example of this is using multiple medications to treat congestive heart failure which can include digoxin, diuretics, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors

Hello Professor. I agree that medications are the magic solution to treat diseases if they are used appropriately. For example, when antipsychotic medications are not used correctly could lead to functional decline and cognitive impairment. The health care professionals’ knowledge of safe medication use, risks and benefits, and the drug-related problem are important when taking care of elderly patients. “In 2015, the AGS Beers Criteria were again updated by an expert panel of healthcare and pharmacy experts to help prevent potential medication side effects and other medication-related problems in older adults” (Health in Aging, 2015). It is pivotal to use the guidelines of Beers Criteria in our daily practice to prevent inappropriate use of

The use of prescription drugs is another gray area because it might be beneficial for the elders to take the legal drugs for their medical issues. However, they are often not concerned about their ability to become addicted to these drugs. They only focus on the relief that the drugs are offering them.

It can be determined that the elderly seldom get drugs illicitly. As stated earlier, they usually get drugs by seeing multiple doctors. In addition to this, they stockpile prescribed medications over time, or getting medications from family members. This only contributes to the problems of the elderly. Often times, family members are reluctant to address the issues their elderly family member face.

Addiction is has been around for a long time. The fear of people becoming addicted to certain substances has lead to policies changes. However, there has not been a major federal law passed that dealt with addiction in over forty years. In 2016, President Obama signed a law that covered all the major points of addiction and recovery. This topic this important to me because some of my loved ones are addicts. I may also have clients that are addicts.This paper will take a look at that law. First, we have to define a few key terms.

Senior citizens are the people who are most likely to take multiple medications due to the occurring chronic conditions as the aging process continues. Given the several medicines they take, they are ironically the age group that is very much sensitive to medication side effects, both therapeutic and negative.

Nearly half of seniors do not take their medications when or how they were prescribed. There are mistakes on dosages, methods of delivery, time of delivery, what they should be taken with, and even if they should still be taken. Compounding the issue, most seniors over the age of 65 are taking between 8 and 13 different medications. Put these numbers together and it is no wonder that problems with medication management are one of the leading reasons seniors end up in the emergency room, and is the number one reason seniors end up back in the hospital after being recently discharged. According to a study published in "Pharmacotherapy", nearly 70 percent of hospitalized seniors suffered from at least one

Approximately 40% of people over 65 years of age fill one or more prescriptions of

Perhaps the most challenging aspect of older adult pharmacology is the concomitant use of multiple medications. Among community-

* Compare and contrast safe medication administration for a very young and very old patient.

They continue taking drugs that may be unnecessary or unsuitable. According to Gayathri J. Dowling, Susan R. B. Weiss and Timothy P. Condon, authors of “Drug Abuse and the Aging Brain”, the dynamic nature of the brain suggests that drug abuse in older adults may have unique consequences that influence drugs’ effects in the brain. The abundant amount of medication found in the everyday lives of elderly patients is alarming and can do much more harm than good. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services stated in a 2014 action plan that older adults account for 35% of all hospital stays and more than half of those visits are marred by drug-related

The route of drug administration chosen might be dependent on a person's age because of its variants on the effects of the drugs used on them. For example, a child usually has a hard time swallowing pills so they instead would drink their medicine, it is one of those factors that would lead us to alternatives. It is the same for pregnant women and the elderly that have different effects on them, so they would have different routes of drugs.

drugs have become easier and easier to get our hands on. Doctors seem to hand pills

To ensure the best health care provided to older adults, nurses need to apply the nursing process to all their patients to reduce their hospitalization and help them live better lives. This also provides the health care provider all the information needed to plan their care. L. Lilley, S. Collins, and J. Snyder (2013) explain the importance of lifespan considerations with elderly patients, “More than 80% of patients taking eight or more drugs have one or more chronic illnesses. More complicated medication regimes predispose elderly patients to self-medication errors, especially those with reduced visual acuity and manual dexterity.” (p. 43) Considering our patients age of being over 65, special considerations are needed

Elderly patients that take several medications compound the risk of developing an adverse drug reaction. Not only does the aging process have an effect on how elderly bodies process medication, but elderly people take more medications than their younger counterparts. According to Conry (2005), the elderly patient takes an average of 5 prescription medications and two non-prescription medications (Conry, 2005). While medications are frequently necessary to enhance the quality of life of the elderly, non-pharmacologic methods should be used whenever possible. Healthcare providers need to understand how aging impacts the body’s response to medications, which drugs pose more risk to