Managing 5 or more medications for an elderly family member? Here's what caregivers should know
When seniors take multiple medicines, side effects and drug interactions can be harder to spot. Here's what caregivers should watch for and how to manage medications safely.
When seniors require multiple medications, side effects and drug interactions can be challenging to identify. Caregivers play a crucial role in managing medications safely for elderly family members. A recent SingHealth study revealed that approximately 14.5% of seniors aged 66 and above in Singapore take more than five prescription medicines daily, averaging 6.3 medications per day.
Polypharmacy, defined as the concurrent use of five or more medications by an individual, includes various forms such as pills, topical creams, patches, eye drops, inhalers, injectables, vitamins, herbal supplements, and traditional medicines.
Chronic conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and heart disease often necessitate multiple medications to manage the condition and its complications. Factors such as kidney and liver function decline, changes in body composition, and increased sensitivity to certain medications make older adults more susceptible to medication side effects. Cognitive changes and multiple specialist care further complicate medication management.
While there's no definitive number beyond which a medication regimen becomes "too much," five medications is commonly used as a threshold for polypharmacy. However, even five appropriate medications may be safer than two ineffective ones. The real concern arises when the medication list continues to grow without periodic reassessment.
Caregivers should monitor for signs such as recurrent falls, excessive drowsiness, new confusion or memory loss, constipation, low blood sugar levels, or frequent hospital admissions. These could indicate medication-related issues.
Changes in blood pressure and heart rate can also signal medication side effects. Caregivers should be cautious not to attribute these symptoms to "old age" when medications might be the contributing factor. A full medication review should occur at least once a year for those on multiple long-term medications, and more frequently following hospitalization or significant health changes.
Written by urgent.news from Channel News Asia's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
