Improper use of medications can be a real problem for elders. Many seniors are on medication and many are taking more than one drug at a time. An average elder may take three to five different medications each day. In the United States, people over 65 consume one quarter of all the medications sold. Seniors are more likely to misuse drugs than to abuse them. However, drug abuse does occur, mostly in regard to prescription medicines.

Why do elders misuse medications?

There are a number of reasons why the misuse of medications can be a problem for seniors:

Older people may use medication for physical changes that are a natural result of the aging process. For example, sleep patterns change with age, so that elders may not sleep eight uninterrupted hours each night. Elders who do not understand this may begin to rely on sleep medications.

The physiological changes that result from aging can affect the way that drugs are metabolized or excreted by the body. A medication may stay in the body of an older person longer than in a younger person. If it is taken too often, the level of the drug may rise enough to cause dangerous side effects. Seniors also become more sensitive to the effects of many drugs, and a dose which is appropriate for a younger person may be too high for an elder.

Older people may not understand what all the medications are that they are taking, or even exactly why they are taking them. Sometimes, doctors do not take the time to explain the reasons for the medications to patients, or they are not able to communicate effectively with the patient. As a result, seniors may neglect to take a medication, or may not take it at the proper time.