Generic drugs can cause confusion for caregivers and risks to patients

Many seniors are taking multiple prescriptions and it is often hard to determine which medications were originally prescribed and which were substituted for generics.  Sometimes, the generics may be confusing.  

A recent New York Times column noted that the practice of giving drugs two names, a brand name and a generic name, makes no sense.   The column explained that worldwide, almost all medications have a brand name that remains patent protected for 20 years, meaning the patent holder is the sole manufacturer and distributor. That allows the holder to charge more for it.

“When drugs go generic (for example, Tylenol to acetaminophen), anyone can make them and the price tends to drop, meaning company profits drop, too. But the companies keep the brand names, and insist they be used wherever they can, because they know people tend to trust brand names more, even when there is no difference from the generic.

To make things even more confusing, we have recently seen a proliferation of look-alike, sound-alike meds. For example: Zantac is used to treat heartburn, while Xanax is an anti-anxiety medication. A list of these sound-alikes fills a full eight pages on the Institute of Safe Medication Practices website.”

The ramifications for caregivers and seniors are vital since taking the wrong medication can have serious health effects.  At Assisting Hands, our home aides can help ensure that the right medications are being administered. 

Watch out for loneliness during the holidays

The holiday season is supposed to be a nurturing time for family members to reconnect and celebrate.  But for many seniors, the holidays can bring feelings of sadness, loneliness and isolation.

“It’s not unusual for seniors to hide their feelings of isolation and sadness from family members during the holidays  because they  don't want to worry the family by displaying these feeling or try to deny them,” said Richard Ueberfluss, a physical therapist and president of Assisting Hands Chicago, with home care agencies in Naperville and Hinsdale..

Ueberfluss notes that there are many factors that contribute to those feelings of sadness, including those that have been widowed, have lost close friends as they age, are separated from family and may be suffering from ill health. They may feel guilty for have feelings of sadness which may in turn intensify those feelings of sadness.

The season also puts pressure on adult children who want to spend time with their family but feel guilty and torn about not spending enough time with their senior parents.

“A practical solution is to use home care aides who can spend time visiting and caring with senior parents.  The companionship will stave off depression and if depression is apparent, work with family members on proper remedies,” said Ueberfluss. “Nobody should be alone during the holidays and home care aides can fill the void.”

For more information visit: www.assistinghands-naperville.com  

Can Monitoring Heart Disease in Women identify early Warning Signs for Dementia?

There is new evidence that women with heart disease might be at increased risk for dementia, according to a story in HealthDay News.  A study reported in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that U.S. women aged 65 to 79, who had healthy brain function when the study started, were 29 percent more likely to experience mental decline over time than those without heart disease.

“The risk of mental decline was about twice as high among women who'd had a heart attack as it was among those who had not. Women who had a heart bypass operation, surgery to remove a blockage in a neck artery or peripheral artery disease also were at increased risk for mental decline.”

Quoting the study’s author, Dr. Bernhard Haring, from the department of internal medicine at the University of Wurzburg, in Germany, “Many different types of heart disease or vascular disease are associated with declining brain function, with accompanying factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes, which also increased the risk for mental decline.”

Although the study found an association between heart disease and an increased risk of dementia in older women, it did not establish a cause-and-effect relationship.

The study recommended that women with heart disease -- in particular women who have had a heart attack, bypass surgery, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, peripheral vascular disease or carotid endarterectomy -- should be monitored by their doctors for potential [mental] decline. It was highly recommended that heart disease risk factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes be monitored in post-menopausal women.

Richard Ueberfluss, PT
www.assistinghands.com/naperville