Getting older brings multiple health complications with it, many of which require daily medication. Having more than five different pills to take each day can become confusing for elderly people, often leading to double or forgotten doses. The effects of this can cause further complications and even life-threatening side effects.

In this article, we’ll explain the risks of taking multiple medications at once, as well as highlighting how an elderly person can minimise these risks. We’ll also explain the importance of pharmacists in elderly care.

Polypharmacy risks and drug interactions

The use of multiple medications, or polypharmacy, is often needed, especially for elderly people with multiple health conditions. The side effects from individual drugs can quickly add up, leading to misdiagnoses and the prescription of new drugs to tackle problems caused by other drugs.

Polypharmacy risks

There are many risks associated with polypharmacy, including:

Adverse drug reactions: Most medications come with a risk of side effects, including tiredness and confusion. The more medication you’re on, the more likely you are to experience multiple side effects.
Medication errors: A complex setup of medication can increase the risk of being wrongly prescribed drugs for illnesses you don’t have.
Fall risks: Elderly people are vulnerable to falls and frailty, especially when taking more than one fall-risk-increasing drug.
Non-adherence: Having more than five pills to take each day can cause confusion, especially amongst the elderly. This can lead to double dosing or forgetting to take certain medications.

As well as the above risks, polypharmacy opens elderly people up to the risk of drug interactions. These can have a severely detrimental effect on an elderly person, sometimes completely reducing the effectiveness of medication.

Drug interactions

A drug interaction happens when a drug’s effect is altered by other substances, including other medications. These can either reduce the effectiveness of individual drugs or create new side effects that may end up being life-threatening.

Elderly people are far more vulnerable to drug interactions. Not just because of polypharmacy, but also because of aging physiology. Reduced kidney and liver function prevents the clearance of drugs and their toxic metabolites. This causes them to build up, increasing the chance of side effects and ill health.

Side effects of drug interactions include:

Drowsiness, dizziness, confusion and other cognitive impairments
Gastrointestinal bleeding
Over-sedation
Balance issues
Cardiovascular problems
Kidney problems

Memory aids and pill organisers that actually work

Remembering which pills you need to take, and the times they need to be taken, is difficult, especially for the elderly. That’s why memory aids and pill organisers are vital, reducing the risk of forgotten doses or accidental double doses. Here are some examples of effective pill organisers:

Weekly pill organisers: This is a cost-effective way of organising pills, with different compartments for each day of the week. This way, you can prevent double dosages, with the right amount of pills being set up before the week starts. The only issue is for those with dementia, who may have trouble remembering what day of the week it is.
Automatic pill dispensers: These will automatically release the correct dose at the right time, which is ideal for those with memory issues. Most automatic dispensers will come with an in-built alarm, letting the person know it’s time to take the pill.
Pill boxes with timers: These allow you to store pills in separate compartments. The in-built timer will go off when it’s time to take the pill, although it won’t automatically dispense the correct pill.

While most higher-end pill organisers will contain memory aids, such as timers or daily compartments, this isn’t a guarantee with cheaper products. Here are some general memory aids that people can follow to ensure they take the correct pill at the right time:

Well-learned routine: Taking medication at the same time everyday, in the same area of the house, will bed the information into a person’s mind. It’s much easier for them to remember to take their medication if they do it at a specific time, such as when they’ve just woken up.
Easily visible pill organiser: If the pills are hidden away in a cupboard or behind something on the kitchen counter, they’re more likely to be forgotten about. Placing them somewhere they are easily visible will keep them in the front of their mind.
Support from family/carers: Daily reminders from family members or carers will make sure a person doesn’t forget about their medication. This is made easy with a SureSafe talking pendant alarm that allows for two-way communication and has an app available for friends and family.

Telehealth solutions for medication monitoring

Telehealth offers technology assistance to the elderly to provide healthcare from a distance. This involves video calls, app reminders and remote monitoring, giving people a direct line of communication with healthcare professionals.

Reminder apps

These are mobile phone apps which will send notifications highlighting which pill you should take and when you should be taking it. It’s an efficient way of making sure you’ve taken the right pill at the right time, removing the risk of double dosages. However, for some elderly people, setting up these apps isn’t always a viable option.

Remote monitoring devices

Devices that can measure vital statistics, such as blood pressure, glucose levels and a person’s pulse, are useful for remote monitoring. They’ll keep healthcare professionals in the loop ensuring vital levels aren’t dropping too low. Other remote monitoring devices such as SureSafe’s elderly care alarms will also help to provide communication and an immediate response if a person falls unwell.

Video monitoring

Using video conferencing, people can record themselves taking their medication, which is then reviewed by a healthcare professional. This is useful for verifying that someone is taking their medication correctly. However, it utilises another form of technology that may be difficult for an elderly person to understand or use effectively.

The role of pharmacists in senior care

Pharmacists play a vital role in senior care, adopting multiple responsibilities to ensure the elderly person has access to the medication they need. A large part of the pharmacist’s responsibilities centre around reducing unnecessary hospitalisations, which is helped by reducing polypharmacy when possible.

Here are some key responsibilities:

Medication reviews: Pharmacists conduct in-depth patient reviews to scale down bloated prescriptions, deprescribing unnecessary medication and lowering dosages when needed.
Managing polypharmacy: Having multiple medications on the go is complicated and sometimes dangerous. Pharmacists will manage this load and work out ways of reducing prescribed medications.
Patient/carer discussions: It’s important to keep the elderly person and their carer in the loop, with pharmacists having in-depth discussions about the medication and its potential side effects.
Simplifying transition phases: When an elderly person moves from home care to a hospital or care facility, the pharmacist will ensure their medication schedule moves with them. This prevents mix ups and ensures they always have the medication they require.

Warning signs of medication mismanagement

Medication mismanagement in the elderly can manifest itself in multiple ways, having an effect on a person’s physical and mental state. These issues are often wrongly mistaken for natural signs of aging, when in reality they require urgent review.

Cognitive signs

Sudden cognitive changes may be an indicator of medication mismanagement. Confusion is a common symptom of adverse drug reactions in elderly people, caused by almost any class of medication. Memory loss will often present itself in double-dosing or forgetting doses, putting the elderly person at risk.

Medication issues can also cause sudden mood swings, such as irritability, over-excitement and depression/anxiety. Sometimes, mismanagement can result in someone stepping away from social activities altogether, causing isolation and loneliness.

Physical signs

Medication mismanagement can cause mobility issues amongst elderly people. Unsteadiness, dizziness and falls are common, especially if you’re taking tranquilisers or diuretics. Constipation, diarrhoea and trouble urinating are also associated with medication mismanagement.

Keep your elderly loved one on top of their medication with SureSafe

Staying on top of medication isn’t easy for an elderly person, especially if they are suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia. This can be extremely worrying for their friends and family, especially if the person lives alone. Thankfully, with SureSafe’s elderly care devices, there is a solution.

SureSafe’s personal care alarms for the elderly allow people to have direct two-way contact with a SureSafe operator and up to three loved ones. So if they feel unwell, have a fall or can’t remember which pills they need to take, they can get the help they need in moments.

To learn more about our products, contact us on 0808 304 0480, get in touch with our live chat or request a call back.