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As you age, increasing health challenges often become apparent. Seniors normally experience more health problems due to illness, injury, or poor nutrition. They are more likely to get sick and to have chronic health problems like arthritis and high blood pressure. Many of these problems require medications, and these must be taken properly in order to improve the health condition that they were meant to affect.

The fact that seniors are so much more likely to be taking both over-the-counter and prescribed medications, and possibly multiple medications at one time, means that they need to be very aware of their health conditions and the anticipated effects and side effects of the medications that they are taking.

Seniors should also be aware that as the body ages, physical changes, such as slower organ function, slower blood circulation, less body water and more body fat affect the way that medications work in their bodies. This is because these factors change the rate that medication is absorbed into the body, the way it is distributed in the body, its metabolism, and the length of time it takes for the medication to leave the body. Therefore, the effects of some drugs may last longer and be more pronounced and may cause a senior to be more susceptible to common side effects. Combining different medications or combining medications with alcohol, coffee, caffeinated beverages, tobacco, recreational drugs or non-prescription drugs also increases the chances of experiencing side effects and can produce additional side effects due to the combination of factors.

Taking Drugs Correctly

Medications can alter the way people think, move or feel. People can experience clumsiness, drowsiness, dizziness, forgetfulness, anxiety or depression. They may have headaches, stomach upset or trouble sleeping. In addition to these potential reactions that may or may not be reported or addressed, it is estimated that up to 30% of hospital admissions in seniors are due to medication misadventures. All of these could be due to a variety of both intentional and unintentional factors:

• Fifty percent (50%) of patients do not take their medications as prescribed - some people don't fill their prescriptions, some fill them but don't take them, and some don't take them as directed. It is important to remember that compliance with the doctor's instructions helps to avoid side effects and complications and allows for a better response to treatment.
• For anyone with poor eyesight, instructions on prescription labels can be hard to read.
• When many medications are being managed, it can be difficult to remember what the purpose and instructions are for each. Those having trouble with memory may forget when or whether they took their last dose of a particular medication.
• An individual may be seeing several doctors and have prescriptions from all of them.
• Individuals may be sharing drugs with others or using old drugs that have expired.
• The effects of alcohol, coffee, caffeinated beverages, tobacco, recreational drugs or non-prescription drugs can be serious when combined with drugs.
• Misdiagnosis can also be a factor.

Some Helpful Programs

Some ways of helping to manage your drugs are as simple as asking for large print labels on your prescriptions or picking up a drug organizer - a pill container that has a separate pocket for each day of the week - at any local drugstore.

One common recommendation is to use the "brown bag" approach. This involves putting all of your medications together in a brown bag (or whatever container you choose) and taking them to your doctor to have him or her review them. It is also important to inform your doctor of anything else you are taking which may have an effect on your medications. This includes alcohol, coffee, caffeinated beverages, tobacco, recreational drugs or non-prescription drugs. You should also let your doctor know about any other doctors that you have seen and why.

Finally, there are a number of programs that are specifically intended to help seniors manage their drugs:

Vial of Life (Nova Scotia) This is also available in other provinces - please contact your doctor to ask about this program.
Medication Matters

Some Websites of Interest

Aging: drugged up and misdiagnosed

Drugs and seniors

Medication matters: how you can help seniors use medication safely

June is generally considered Seniors Month, however, every province has its own day week or month in celebration of seniors. The following is a listing of information regarding the events in each province and where further information can be found.