A USA Today story cited a survey from a senior network that found that most baby boomers are woefully unprepared to deal with their aging parents’ health and financial problems. Findings include the fact that: 31% don’t know how many medications their parents take; 34% don’t know whether their parents have a safe deposit box or where the key is; and 36% don’t know where their parents’ financial information is located.
According to The USA Story “Prescription drugs are of particular concern. In the survey, 49% couldn’t name a single drug their parents took. Ask parents about their medications and, if necessary, do research, experts say. Find out the dose, what it’s for, who prescribed it and why. People 65 and older account for about a third of all medications prescribed in the U.S., according to the National Institutes of Health, and older patients are more likely to have long-term and multiple prescriptions, which could lead to unintentional misuse.”
The story suggest that caretakers need to know: What drugs can parents go without and which ones must be taken on schedule? For instance, blood pressure and anti-depressant medications cannot be missed.
This is one reason that more and more families are relying on the role of home aides to augment caregiver responsibilities. Home aides can monitor medications and can work with caregiver family members to ensure that the entire care team is educated about medications. Misuse of medication has become such a problem that the American Medical Association notes that every year, adverse drug events result in an estimated 4.5 million annual outpatient visits for seniors related to medication problems, with seniors and patients taking more than six medications the most likely to show up in doctors’ offices. Safety is a major concern for elderly parents.