Geriatrics & gerontology international
-
Geriatr Gerontol Int · Jan 2012
ReviewToward the realization of a better aged society: messages from gerontology and geriatrics.
1. ⋯ The subcommittee for aging, thus, provided the following proposal: 1 Development and promotion of systems that enable elderly people to participate socially and make a contribution using an interdisciplinary approach among the various areas, including nursing science, nursing care, study of social welfare, social science, psychology, economics, religion and ethics, as well as medical sciences; 2 Promotion of gerontology, reform and enhancement of geriatrics in undergraduate, postgraduate and lifelong education; 3 Building geriatric medical centers in each area, and accumulating large-scale evidence of geriatric diseases and geriatrics; and 4 Structural development and promotion of home-based care and multidisciplinary care. Through implementation of the above measures, Japan is expected to function as a successful example for the rest of the world.
-
Geriatr Gerontol Int · Jan 2012
Comparative StudyMedication prescription among elderly patients admitted through an acute assessment unit.
This study assessed medication use patterns and polypharmacy in patients who were admitted through an acute assessment unit (AAU) and stratified results according to patient age. This study also examined risk factors associated with polypharmacy and consequences of polypharmacy, namely prescription writing errors, drug-drug interaction and geriatric syndrome. ⋯ This study showed that polypharmacy and renal impairment are prevalent amongst elderly patients admitted through an AAU. Polypharmacy in the elderly is attributable to greater comorbidities and is associated with an increased risk of adverse consequences. To avoid inappropriate medication use and improve the quality of prescription among those with polypharmacy, careful review of elderly patients' drugs is needed while they are in the AAU.