The American journal of geriatric pharmacotherapy
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Am J Geriatr Pharmacother · Sep 2005
Multicenter Study Clinical TrialEffects of rivastigmine treatment on the neuropsychiatric and behavioral disturbances of nursing home residents with moderate to severe probable Alzheimer's disease: a 26-week, multicenter, open-label study.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and is characterized clinically by a gradual decline in cognitive performance, an increasingly impaired ability to perform activities of daily living, and neuropsychiatric and behavioral disturbances. ⋯ In the current study, rivastigmine treatment for 26 weeks in nursing home residents with moderate to severe probable AD was associated with decreased NPI-NH item scores for a wide range of behavioral disturbances in the subgroup of patients with behavioral symptoms at baseline.
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Am J Geriatr Pharmacother · Sep 2005
Factors associated with potentially inappropriate drug utilization in a sample of rural community-dwelling older adults.
Many medications present special risks when used by older adults (ie, those aged > or = 65 years) and are considered potentially inappropriate for this population. The Beers criteria are often used to identify such medications. Past research has documented that use of Beers drugs is common among older adults. ⋯ As suggested by the Andersen-Newman model, the risk of potentially inappropriate drug use is highest among those with the greatest medication needs, as evidenced by poorer health status in this sample of rural community-dwelling older patients.