Care of the older patient

Define an elder person?

Someone of the age of 65, however frailty has bigger impact on likelihood to require care

What is frailty?

Group of older people at highest risk of adverse outcomes from falls, disability, need for long term care related to ageing

What different body parts are affected by age?

Heart

Bones/muscles and joints

Digestive system

Kidneys

Brain/nervous system

How is heart affected?

Blood vessels lose elasticity, accumulation of fatty acid deposits make heart work harder

How are bones/muscles and joints affected?

Bones shrink in size and density

How does digestive system change?

Swallowing and digestive reflexes get slower

How do kidneys change?

Less efficient at removing waste as kidneys shrink with age

How does the brain and nervous system change?

Brain cell amount decreases, reflexes slow down and coordination becomes harder

How do older patients differ?

Different adme

communication worse (hearing, sight loss)

Multiple co morbidities so at higher risk of poly pharmacy

Accessibility issues may not be able to travel to pharmacy

What is dementia?

Impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interfere with everyday activities

Risk factors for dementia?

Age, fam history, ethnicity, lifestyle

Symptoms for dementia?

memory loss

confusion

difficulty concentration

What is alzheimer’s?

word finding difficulty

repetivies questions

forgetting names, peoples faces, confused

What other symptoms may someone experience?

Unable to express feelings

significant memory impairments

mobility issues

behavioral difficulty (agitated, anxious, aggression)

What is the role of pharmacists when taking care of older person?

Check for pharmacokinetics, adverse drug reaections, reduce polypharmacy, ensure medication adherence

What is the frailty score?

Tool used to estimate an individuals degree of frailty on a. scale of 1 to 9

anything over 5 is considered frail