Too many medications
When we see an older family member with a bulk of meds sorted by day of the week, we may wonder, is it too much? Do all those pills interact? As we get older we may develop different chronic illnesses that require several meds. This is known as polypharmacy.
When we evaluate polypharmacy, we find that the quality of treatment is often compromised when many medications are being taken. 1) Polypharmacy increases the risk of drugs interacting, which can lead to undesirable effects or reduce their effectiveness. 2) A drug that has a positive effect on one illness may have a negative effect on another. 3) The greater the number of drugs taken, the greater the risk of undesirable effects: for adults over 65, there is an increased risk of confusion or falls. 4) The more medications a person takes, the more likely they are to take a potentially inappropriate med. For seniors, these drugs generally carry more risks than benefits. We want to reduce their use as much as possible to avoid negative impacts such as confusion and increased risk of falls and car accidents, not to mention the risk of dependence and death. 5) Polypharmacy is associated with various adverse health effects, such as an increase in frailty, hospital admissions and emergency room visits.
Source: The Conversation
7 things you should know
It’s not always easy to talk to family members about important issues, but try these tips:
1. How things are now. Is the person you care about already facing challenges? Do you have a clear and realistic view of their current daily lives? Do they have any health problems? Are there things that can be done now to make life easier?
2. Options A and B. We all need a plan no matter what our age. If there is a crisis, how will this person get help? Who will call you and who will you call? Do you have contact information for relatives, neighbors, friends, doctors, lawyers, and local service providers?
3. Consider creating a telephone checklist in case you need to make calls on anyone’s behalf. It’s a nice-to-have regardless.
4. No place like home. Many people want to stay in their home, but it’s not always an option. Can the house be made more accessible (first-floor bedroom, ramps, etc.)? Where would your mother want to live if she couldn’t stay at home? What if your father couldn’t live with other family members? What options are available? What matters most to them?
5. The medical maze. Try your best to make sure one doctor oversees and coordinates care.
Source: caregiver.com
Dismissed by doctors
In a system that was designed by men for men, hysteria, a now-defunct medical term, was a catch-all diagnosis for females presenting with a wide variety of symptoms that caused them pain but was attributed to emotional rather than biological causes. But, have things really changed?
Women still feel gaslit – disbelieved and patronised in medical settings. A recent Australian government survey found that 2/3 of women have encountered gender bias or discrimination in Australian healthcare. Many say it’s taking place when they are at their most vulnerable such as during intimate examinations, while in labour or in other types of pain or discomfort. Additional disadvantages have been seen in First Nations, LGBTGQ+ and migrant communities. And, with more than 70% of participants in early -stage clinical trials still being white males, it’s clear that there is still a one-size fits all male centric approach to health care.
“We need to look at women’s bodies as a whole”, says Bonney Corbin, chair of Australia’s Women’s Health Alliance. “We’ve mobilized a whole lot of women in this process—now we need action.”
Source: BBC
