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    Charina Riodil Ncm114 Rle Reactionpaper

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    Charina Aubrey
    This document provides an overview of a reaction paper about comprehensive geriatric assessments. It discusses that CGAs allow different healthcare professionals to work together to assess older patients and create treatment plans. Polypharmacy is a key concern for older adults as they are more at risk for adverse drug reactions due to changes in metabolism and drug clearance with age. The complexities of taking multiple medications can lead to issues like taking too much or too little of a drug. The reaction emphasizes that medication regimes for older adults should be regularly evaluated and optimized to reduce polypharmacy and its risks.

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    Charina Riodil Ncm114 Rle Reactionpaper

    Uploaded by

    Charina Aubrey
    71 views3 pages
    This document provides an overview of a reaction paper about comprehensive geriatric assessments. It discusses that CGAs allow different healthcare professionals to work together to assess older patients and create treatment plans. Polypharmacy is a key concern for older adults as they are more at risk for adverse drug reactions due to changes in metabolism and drug clearance with age. The complexities of taking multiple medications can lead to issues like taking too much or too little of a drug. The reaction emphasizes that medication regimes for older adults should be regularly evaluated and optimized to reduce polypharmacy and its risks.

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    This document provides an overview of a reaction paper about comprehensive geriatric assessments. It discusses that CGAs allow different healthcare professionals to work together to assess older patients and create treatment plans. Polypharmacy is a key concern for older adults as they are more at risk for adverse drug reactions due to changes in metabolism and drug clearance with age. The complexities of taking multiple medications can lead to issues like taking too much or too little of a drug. The reaction emphasizes that medication regimes for older adults should be regularly evaluated and optimized to reduce polypharmacy and its risks.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    71 views3 pages

    Charina Riodil Ncm114 Rle Reactionpaper

    Uploaded by

    Charina Aubrey
    This document provides an overview of a reaction paper about comprehensive geriatric assessments. It discusses that CGAs allow different healthcare professionals to work together to assess older patients and create treatment plans. Polypharmacy is a key concern for older adults as they are more at risk for adverse drug reactions due to changes in metabolism and drug clearance with age. The complexities of taking multiple medications can lead to issues like taking too much or too little of a drug. The reaction emphasizes that medication regimes for older adults should be regularly evaluated and optimized to reduce polypharmacy and its risks.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    of 3

    NCM 114: RLE

    St. Paul College of Ilocos Sur


    (Member: St. Paul University System)
    St. Paul Avenue, 2727 Bantay, Ilocos Sur

    DEPARTMENT OF NURSING

    Reaction Paper about Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment

    In Partial Fulfilment

    Of Requirements for the Subject

    NCM 114: Care of Older Adult (Skills Lab)

    Submitted to:

    Mrs. Kathleen Rabaino-Parel, RN, MAN

    Instructor

    Submitted by:

    Charina Aubrey Riodil

    BSN-III

    September 16, 2020


    NCM 114: RLE

    OVERVIEW

    The older adult population is characterized by unique and diverse individuals


    who may require a variety of health care professionals to meet their health care
    needs. Gerontology is a term used to define the study of aging and older adults.
    Gerontology is multidisciplinary and is specialized area with various disciplines such
    as nursing, psychology, and social work. Geriatrics is associated with the medical
    care of older adults. CGA is a timely assessment for persons over the age of 70. It
    can also be done after a doctor detects a potential risk to the patient’s health. Unlike
    the traditional healthcare system, CGA allows different experts (doctors, nurses, and
    therapists, social workers) to work together and closely follow the patient until he or
    she is ready for discharge. The team then reviews the results and revises the
    treatment plan accordingly. After a discussion with the care-giver and patients, the
    physicians create and develop long term treatment plans and arrangements for
    rehabilitative services. When done right, comprehensive geriatric assessment can
    improve elderly’s functional status and quality of life.  It can also reduce mortality and
    length of stay in hospitals. Studies find that older patients who stayed in hospitals a
    lot longer experience higher risk of functional decline.

    The main significance of a geriatric assessment is to gather data for the


    physician in order to create an accurate diagnosis and plan of care for older people.
    It will allow them to create a treatment and rehabilitation program that will support the
    patient’s long-term needs. CGA is timely and comprehensive. It’s done usually to frail
    old people with complex problems.

    DISCUSSION OF CRITICAL ISSUES

    Polypharmacy is an area of concern for elderly because of several reasons.


    Elderly people are at a greater risk for adverse drug reactions (ADRs) because of the
    metabolic changes and reduced drug clearance associated with ageing; this risk is
    furthermore exacerbated by increasing the number of drugs used. Potential of drug-
    drug interactions is further increased by use of multiple drugs. Older adults may
    purchase over-the-counter drugs to remedy common discomforts related to aging,
    such as constipation, sleep disturbance, and joint pain. During the past few years,
    the use of vitamins, food supplements, and herbal remedies has increased. These
    agents falls under the category of OTC drugs and are often not reported by clients as
    NCM 114: RLE

    part of their medicine regimen. An accurate assessment should include a listing of all
    these agents. Many of these agents have not had adequate testing for effectiveness,
    side effects, or interactions with other medications.

    The complexities involved in the self-administration of medicine may lead to a


    variety of misuse situations, including taking too much or too little medication,
    combining alcohol and medications, combining prescribed medications with OTC
    drugs causing increased risk for drug interactions and adverse events, taking
    medication at wrong time, or taking someone else’s medication. Other potential
    misuse situations occur when more than one primary care provider prescribes
    medication and the clients fails to tell each primary care provider what has been
    previously prescribed. Additionally, the pharmacodynamics of drugs are altered in
    older adults. The variations in absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of
    drugs are related to physiological changes associated with aging.

    REACTION

    Most older adults living independently in the community take their medication
    without supervision. To reduce the incidence and adverse effects of polypharmacy
    medication regimes of elderly patients should be evaluated monthly. A single
    agent/drug should be prescribed instead of multiple drugs for the treatment of a
    single condition, if possible. Medications should be started with the lower drug
    dosage where clinically indicated and if required incremental increase can be done.
    Drugs that can be given once or twice a day should be preferred over the drugs
    given three times a day. Drugs that are suspected to cause a problem should be
    discontinued. If the drug taken has no therapeutic beneficial effect or clinical
    indication it should be eliminated. Unessential drugs should be identified and
    eliminated prescribed by different health care providers for the same
    condition/disease. Safer drugs should be substituted with the higher risk
    medications. Identifying and avoiding the polypharmacy can lead to better outcomes
    in the elderly patients and also helps in improving the quality of life. Medication
    review is an essential part in the elderly patient to avoid adverse effects that can be
    caused due to polypharmacy.

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