Patterns of Medication Management and Associated Medical and Clinical Features among Home-Dwelling Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study in Central Portugal.
Publisher DOI
PubMed ID
36767067
Abstract
Ageing is frequently associated with multimorbidity and polypharmacy. The present study aimed to identify the current medication management patterns and the profiles of home-dwelling older adults and to find any association with their conditions, including frailty and cognitive impairment. Within the scope of this cross-sectional study, 112 older adults living in the community were assessed via face-to-face structured interviews. Frailty, cognitive status, medication management and clinical and sociodemographic variables were evaluated. Descriptive and inferential statistics were calculated. The mean participant age was 76.6 ± 7.1 years, 53.6% of participants were women, and 40.2% of participants lived alone. More than half were classified as having frailty (58.9%), almost one-fifth (19.6%) presented with a moderate cognitive impairment had more than one disease, and 60.7% were polymedicated. No associations were found between polymedication and medication self-management, the use of over-the-counter medications, living alone, having a poor understanding of pharmacological therapy and/or pathology, or having more than one prescriber. Self-management was associated with age, the number of medications, frailty and cognitive status. Binary logistic regressions showed that cognitive impairment had statistically significant differences with medication management, having a poor understanding of pharmacological therapy and/or pathology, having one prescriber and the use of medications not prescribed by physicians. Interventions to prevent medication-related problems in home-dwelling older adults are recommended.
Date Issued
2023-01-17
Publication Type
Article
Subjects
frailty home-dwelling medication management medication-related problems multimorbidity older adults polypharmacy
Language(s)
en
Author(s)
Dixe, Maria Dos Anjos | |
Pinho, Joana | |
Pereira, Filipa | |
Verloo, Henk | |
Pereira, Sónia Gonçalves |
Journal
International journal of environmental research and public health
Publisher
MDPI
ISSN
1660-4601
Access(Rights)
open.access