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Community and primary care nursing
Frail elderly experiences of managing polypharmacy at home: adherence to drug therapy explains only a part of the story
  1. Patricia O'Malley1,2
  1. 1Nursing Research, Premier Health Partners, Dayton, Ohio, USA
  2. 2Nursing, Indiana University East, Richmond, Indiana, USA
  1. Correspondence to Dr Patricia O'Malley, Nursing Research, Premier Health Partners, Dayton, Ohio, USA; pomalley{at}premierhealth.com

https://doi.org/10.1136/ebnurs-2024-104030

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    Commentary on: Previdoli G, Alldred DP, Silcock J, et al. ‘It’s a job to be done’. Managing polypharmacy at home: a qualitative interview study exploring the experiences of older people living with frailty. Health Expectations 2024;27:e13952.

    Implications for practice and research

    • Chronic illness in ageing requires complex medication regimes linked to adverse drug events, hospitalisation and mortality.

    • The impact of age-related frailty with polypharmacy is less known.

    Context

    Causality exists between frailty and polypharmacy, and the risks associated with polypharmacy among frail older persons are high.1 This qualitative study of 32 frail elders 65 years or older and taking 5 or more medications explores management of polypharmacy at home. Subjects revealed that management of prescribed medications is often difficult with some obstacles from the healthcare system and the need for support. Side effects significantly impact quality of life, and some subjects reported feeling unheard when reporting concerns. Exploring risks and benefits of treatment as well …

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    Footnotes

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Commissioned; internally peer reviewed.