If you care for an elderly person, you may have been in difficult situations where they refuse medication. This usually occurs when our family members feel that they are losing independence, or do not trust the treatment.

Therefore, we must ensure good follow-up, promoting adherence and facilitating access to their doses.

In this article we will explain in detail how to achieve it.

Main reasons why an elderly person does not take their medication

Have you ever wondered why the elderly often have problems with medical treatment?

  

One in two elderly polymedicated patients does not have adequate treatment follow-up

As a person gets older, their relationship with medication tends to worsen. According to the WHO, one in two older people does not have adequate treatment follow-up.

This can be due to multiple factors:

    • Side effects.Whether it is due to a bad experience in the past or fear of future reactions to your body, we recommend talking about it openly with your family member. If you already know what effects you will develop after taking the medication, perhaps you can consult with your doctor or prescriber in search of alternatives or actions that will compensate.  

    • Forgetfulness: Memory loss is accentuated with old age, and it is easier to miss a meal, or even not remember if you have taken it. 

    • He doesn't understand what it's for:If the patient believes they are in good health, or does not see improvements soon, they may become bored with the treatment or not take it seriously.  

    • Unsuitable formats: Is your parent capable of administering the doses themselves? Sometimes the complexity of the treatment becomes an insurmountable barrier that causes premature abandonment.

Adherence to treatment: How to achieve it?

As we have already seen in our previous post, What is therapeutic adherence? There are a number of key factors when following the medical plan

    • Change of life habits
    • Following a diet adapted to the circumstances
    • Take the right amounts
    • Respect distribution times
    • Medical plan persistence

Adherence to treatment has become a public health problem worldwide. Following these steps properly will not only help us solve or improve certain problems, but will also help us prevent them and improve the quality of life of our seniors.

put yourself in his place

Learning to listen is something necessary for both parties. This is the first step to achieving adequate therapeutic adherence, avoiding uncomfortable situations and misunderstandings.

This active listening begins from the first moment our family member is diagnosed, understanding the situation and evaluating the options it gives us.

On the other hand, we must also understand how the patient feels, and how they would like to approach the solution.

But not everything is based on the caregiver fully understanding the situation. Communication should go both ways, and the polypharmacy person will need to understand why they are being prescribed certain medications, or how a new routine may benefit them.

Resolving your doubts and expressing your concerns will be one more step towards successful therapeutic adherence.

Tips for taking and controlling medication in the elderly

At IMA we want to promote healthy and progressive habits so as not to have to resort to conflictive situations, avoiding them as much as possible.

Therefore, we recommend you follow these steps:

    • Help him progressively. You may have to remind him more often or check on him at first. Like everyone, we must adapt to new habits and we do not always do it at the same speed.  

    • Make sure the medication format is appropriate.
    • Stimulates your memory with daily games and challenges. 

    • Promotes exercise moderate to improve your cognitive ability.

    • Reinforce your routines and don't break them whenever possible.

Regardless of which path you want to follow, you'll need to regularly ask yourself the following: Do I have the right tools to manage your health plan?

At IMA we offer a completely free service, where a pharmacist organizes the doses to help dependent people improve drug adherence. You can learn more here.


Disclaimer: At IMA we offer advice and information about our products. Consult with an expert before making any decision that may affect your health.