Drug Misuse and Abuse in the Elderly

Research

The elderly are prescribed a variety of medications by their physicians for many health related reasons. Sometimes medication can be misused or abused. Use the UMA Virtual Library to answer the following research question:

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What are some health issues associated with medication misuse or abuse by the elderly?

Cite your resources using APA format. Elderly misuse and abuse of drugs can lead to serious health issues. These can include the development of symptoms which may have an effect on diagnosis of problems of substance abuse. These health issues are associated with symptoms such as loss of memory, disorientation, lack of balance and depression (Chenitz, Salisbury, & Stone, 1990). The serious health problems associated with drug abuse are overdose, drug addiction and drug interaction. These can lead to harmful side effects and infectivity of drugs.

Use the graphic organizer to record your findings. What do I know?

K I know that the elderly are the most vulnerable members of the society. They are exposed to a lot of diseases which they cannot avoid and they have to be given adequate medical care. This is the essence of diagnosis. What do I want to know?

W I want to know the interventions in place to curb these diseases such as arthritis. Some diseases of the old cannot be avoided. I also need to have an understanding of the statistics behind the vulnerability of the old to diseases.How do I find out?

H I will find out every details about misuse of drugs from the UMA Virtual LibraryI will also use information from website sources and books which analyses the concept of vulnerability of the old to diseases and how they often misuse drugs. What have I learned?

L I have learnt that misuse of drugs which results from prescriptions is a common problem among the old. I have also learnt that it is associated with many health issues such as drug addiction and drug interactions.What action will I take?

A I will undertake the steps of creating awareness among the elderly population on the importance of avoiding misuse and abuse of drugsWhat new questions do I have?

Q Are there existing interventions in combating the misuse and abuse of drugs among the elderly population?Is the creation of awareness a good approach in handling this issue?

Reflection

Reflect on what you have learned this week to help you respond to the question below. You may choose to respond in writing or by recording a video!

Based on what you have learned, describe the current trend of prescription drug use among the U.S. elderly population. I have learnt that the use of prescription drugs has been on the increase among the elderly in the USA. It has increased from 51% to 59% in 2009. It has increased for persons who are between 40 to 65 years. The simvastatin is the most commonly prescribed drug. I have also learnt that increased misuse and abuse of prescribed drugs can lead to serious health issues such as overdose.

Reference

Chenitz, C. W., Salisbury, S., & Stone, J. T. (1990). Drug Misuse and Abuse in the Elderly. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 11(1), 1-16. doi:10.3109/01612849009014541