Meds won’t ease seniors’ loneliness, but ‘social prescribing’ can help, geriatricians say
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 28, 2021
Some lonely seniors are prescribed psychotropic drugs at double the rate of their non-lonely peers, a new study finds. But these medications may not alleviate their problems, the researchers say.
Nearly all seniors are now prescribed drugs tied to falls: study
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 17, 2021
The percentage of older adults prescribed drugs that increase falls risk shot from 57% to 94% over almost two decades, researchers say. And fall-related deaths have more than doubled at the same time.
Residents’ physical decline tied to extended anticholinergic, sedative use
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 04, 2020
Long-term exposure to anticholinergic and sedative medications is linked to reduced physical function — though not cognitive function — in nursing home residents.
COVID-19 side effect: critical drugs in short supply
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 05, 2020
Demand has skyrocketed for drugs ranging from asthma inhalers and antibiotics to sedatives needed for mechanical ventilation.
A hospice invention that stemmed from necessity
By
Brad Macy
Mar 05, 2014
It was the middle of the night and I was visiting a hospice patient who was in severe terminal agitation. Shouting and climbing out of bed, he was frightened and suffering. With orders to give a calming...
Analgesics account for most nursing home medication errors, researchers find
By
McKnight's Staff
Jun 17, 2013
Most nursing home medication errors involve analgesics and sedatives, and these drugs are likely to account for errors regardless of how frequently they are administered, according to recently published...