Factors influencing the handling of medicines among very old people living at home in an urban area

Abstract

Background and aims: Elderly people in Sweden live longer in their own homes, some of them with good health, and others with chronic conditions that require medical treatment. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate factors influencing elderly people's handling of their medicines.

Methods: Cross-sectional population-based study. Participants were 333, aged 84+ years, living in their own homes. Information on regular drug use was obtained from interviews. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the population, and logistic regression models were used to investigate the factors associated with receiving help in handling medicines. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) measured cognitive status, and the basic Activities of Daily Living (ADL) assessed functional status.

Results: Most participants were women living alone. 88% of this population took medicines on a regular basis and 23% of them received help with medicine handling. Using logistic regression models controlling for sociodemographic variables, cognitive and functional status, female (OR=2.8, 95% CI=1.2-6.5) was the only variable associated with regular use of medicines. Older age and functional disability in ADL increased the risk of receiving help with medicines, while higher cognitive status decreased the odds of receiving help. The only factor related to receiving help from a family member was living alone (OR=0.05; 95% CI=0.01-0.40).

Conclusions: This study indicates that cognitive and functional problems require increased help with handling medicines. These results stress the need for ongoing vigilance of, and support for, people with this high-risk profile.