After reading Cruikshank’s article, it became clear to me that older adults are automatically pushed or pressured into medication. I would think that doctor’s would push for other options, especially when considering something such as age. However, this doesn’t seem to be the case. And although there are health factors that come with aging I do believe that all options should be weighed before prescribing meds.
Considering factors such as slower metabolisms, developed allergies and sensitivity to drugs, Cruikshank described these as core factors to consider when prescribing meds. I never considered how meds might affect the body as being a part of aging. I always think of appearances or independence when I think of aging. Aronson, however, made me more aware of how much power doctor’s have in a patient’s care. The discussions of dementia reflected quite a bit of the films showed during the podcast.
There are a number of alternatives that should be considered when dealing with older adults and medication. Overall the best options for care older adults should including listening and valuing the older adults as people and not just patients.
I wholeheartly agree it’s kind of surprising how quickly older adults end up on meds. You would think doctors would look at all the options first, especially since our bodies change as we get older. I like that you pointed out things like slower metabolism and drug sensitivities stuff we don’t usually think about, but it really shows why meds aren’t always the best first move.
I also thought your point about how much power doctors have was really on point. Aronson makes that super clear, and it shows why it’s so important to listen to older adults and include them in decisions about their care. I agree that looking at alternatives and treating them like people, not just patients, can make a huge difference in keeping their quality of life up without automatically piling on the medications.
Shai,
I don’t know if you read these chapters or not, but you didn’t reflect what you learned in this blog post. You didn’t asnwer the last several questions at all.
Dr P