With people aged 65 years and older currently making up the fastest growing age group throughout the world, the demographic revolution of an aging society will inevitably lead to increased pressure to develop a rationalistic and age-tailored process of diagnosis and treatment among the elderly. As aging people often suffer from several chronic diseases and are being treated with multiple medications concurrently, unwanted drug interactions occur more frequently. Whereas recent approaches have recommended to remove particular drugs from the medication regimen to avoid adverse effects, Drug Therapy for the Elderly underlines both indispensable and dispensable elements of drug treatment in order to provide an overall assessment of drugs suitable for the aged. In view of the multimorbidity and polypharmacy situations experienced by elderly patients, this book takes into account the special needs and requirements shown by this group, thus serving as a timely reference for physicians who treat the elderly.

This one-of-a-kind guide covers how to safely prescribe and administer drugs to the elderly. Readers find guidelines for nearly 800 drugs, proven strategies for improving patient compliance, and drug updates on the Internet. Contents include effects of aging on drug therapy; drug entries alphabetized by generic name; components of analgesic combination products; creatinine clearance calculations; HCFA guidelines for using antipsychotics, anxiolytics, sedatives, and other drugs in long-term care facilities; adverse reactions misinterpreted as age-related changes; age-related changes in laboratory values; and a photoguide to tablets and capsules.

One of the greatest advances in Geriatric Medicine during the last quarter of a century has been the increased realization of the possibilities of treatment for elderly patients. Neglect has been replaced by a more optimistic therapeutic endeavour and countless old people have benefitted from this approach. But there is also a drawback, and this is the risk of hazardous side effects of medication which are often directly proportional to the biological potency of the drug and may be unpredictably increased due to changes in the senile organism. In fact the anatomical and biological changes in old age alter both the kinetics of most drugs and the receptor response. On account of these changes the individual tolerance of aged patients to drug therapy may be quite different from that of younger subjects. Thus for a variety of reasons elderly patients receive more drugs, but they are at a higher risk of encountering adverse reactions, which often show atypical clinical features. We can therefore speak of "geriatric iatrogenic disorders" and point out that some of these side effects are determined by a complex pathogenesis due to the particular pathophysiological condition in the elderly. It is important to encourage the habit of individ ually evaluating potential risk versus expected advantages of drugs in keeping with the same principles adopted in the evaluation of cost/benefit ratio.

"Nurses play a vital role in improving the safety and quality of patient car -- not only in the hospital or ambulatory treatment facility, but also of community-based care and the care performed by family members. Nurses need know what proven techniques and interventions they can use to enhance patient outcomes. To address this need, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), with additional funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has prepared this comprehensive, 1,400-page, handbook for nurses on patient safety and quality -- Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. (AHRQ Publication No. 08-0043)." - online AHRQ blurb, http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nurseshdbk/

One of the greatest advances in Geriatric Medicine during the last quarter of a century has been the increased realization of the possibilities of treatment for elderly patients. Neglect has been replaced by a more optimistic therapeutic endeavour and countless old people have benefitted from this approach. But there is also a drawback, and this is the risk of hazardous side effects of medication which are often directly proportional to the biological potency of the drug and may be unpredictably increased due to changes in the senile organism. In fact the anatomical and biological changes in old age alter both the kinetics of most drugs and the receptor response. On account of these changes the individual tolerance of aged patients to drug therapy may be quite different from that of younger subjects. Thus for a variety of reasons elderly patients receive more drugs, but they are at a higher risk of encountering adverse reactions, which often show atypical clinical features. We can therefore speak of "geriatric iatrogenic disorders" and point out that some of these side effects are determined by a complex pathogenesis due to the particular pathophysiological condition in the elderly. It is important to encourage the habit of individ ually evaluating potential risk versus expected advantages of drugs in keeping with the same principles adopted in the evaluation of cost/benefit ratio.

This open access book provides a comprehensive perspective on the concept of ageism, its origins, the manifestation and consequences of ageism, as well as ways to respond to and research ageism. The book represents a collaborative effort of researchers from over 20 countries and a variety of disciplines, including, psychology, sociology, gerontology, geriatrics, pharmacology, law, geography, design, engineering, policy and media studies. The contributors have collaborated to produce a truly stimulating and educating book on ageism which brings a clear overview of the state of the art in the field. The book serves as a catalyst to generate research, policy and public interest in the field of ageism and to reconstruct the image of old age and will be of interest to researchers and students in gerontology and geriatrics.

Medication costs and common drug-related problems, such as misapplication of therapy, medication misuse, and adverse effects, can often be avoided or reduced. Geriatric Drug Therapy Interventions will help you get better outcomes with your patients as it points out pitfalls to avoid and provides you with logical principles for administering drug therapy. Offering guidelines, advice, and gentle reminders, this book shows you the importance of properly documenting patient problems and of considering the entire medical history of your patients. It also helps you perform fall and psychoactive drug risk assessments and address under-recognized and undertreated problems such as malnutrition, depression, sensory deficits, anemia, osteoporosis, and pressure ulcers. As Geriatric Drug Therapy Interventions clarifies, increased consultant pharmacist involvement in comprehensive pharmaceutical services results in the reduction of drug-related problems and medication-associated costs with long-term care patients. Using this book's helpful and substantive interventions, you can improve clinical, economic, and humanistic outcomes in your practice. For this purpose, Geriatric Drug Therapy Interventions discusses: a study designed to teach pharmacy students to identify, document, solve, and prevent medication-related problems providing patient-focused care and assuming responsibility for patient outcomes reimbursing pharmacists for performing cognitive service and cost-savings activities how the prevalence of drug-related problems that influence the need for hospital and nursing home admissions increases with age reasons for patient noncompliance NSAID-associated gastritis, gastrointestinal bleeding, drug-induced delirium, incontinence, and constipation why the advent of managed care does not bode well for the overall health outcomes of the elderly Pharmacists, physicians, and other health care providers can't control all aspects of drug use, but there are many practical steps you can take to help your patients use their prescriptions appropriately. Geriatric Drug Therapy Interventions will help you monitor the efficacy of drug therapy, guide patients who are exasperated with being poked, prodded, and barraged with medications, and work together to develop therapy patterns and schedules that are effective and comfortable.