Older adult clients are often victims of polypharmacy, increasing their risk of dangerous actions. What can the nurse do to help promote safety for this population?

Question

a. Provide education about medications, including purpose, side effects, dangers, and interactions
b. Instruct the client to cut the pill in half, and take only half of each prescribed dose.
c. Encourage the client to try herbal remedies
d. Instruct the client to try taking a drug holiday off of all medications for 1 week and then resume the medications at a lower dose.

Answer 1

a. Provide education about medications, including purpose, side effects, dangers, and interactions
FEEDBACK:
a. Health care workers should take every opportunity to educate their clients regarding their medicines, their purpose, possible side effects, potential dangers, and interactions between medicines.
b. Clients should be instructed to take prescribed medications as ordered. Only under the direction of the prescribing practitioner should medicines be reviewed to determine feasibility of reducing dosage. .
c. Clients should be instructed to report any herbal remedies or over-the-counter remedies they are consuming as some can have drug interactions, including death. There have been reported fatalities of people mixing Saint John's wort herbal remedies with SSRI antidepressants. .
d. Taking a drug holiday off of prescribed medications can be very dangerous and should only be done under supervision and direction of a physician. Many of the drugs prescribed for older adults are vital. .