Elders Are More Vulnerable to Prescription Drug Abuse

A recent study conducted by the USA Today newspaper established that older Americans are particularly vulnerable to prescription drug abuse.

The simple fact of the matter is that as we age, we develop more health problems -- many of which cause pain and physical discomfort.

Due to a combination of convenience and concern, many members of the medical community are too prone to prescribing pain medication when rest and patience would be better “medicine” than pills.

The consequences can be quite serious with the development of long-term addictions. The history of pain medication administration is that a small dose may alleviate symptoms for awhile but as a tolerance is built up, dosages are steadily increased.

To illustrate the problem, in the past 10 years, the cases of pain medication abuse and addictions grew by more than 200% in the 65+ age group according to survey data. As the American population ages, the problem will only get worse.

As a general rule, pain medication should be used on a short-term basis only to minimize the risk of addiction and side effects. (This advice certainly doesn’t apply to advanced-stage cancer or other end-of-life conditions.)

If your doctor prescribes pain medication for you, be sure to discuss how long you should take it and whether there are alternative medical steps that could be taken to minimize or possibly eliminate the need for pain medication.

WARNING: If you find yourself on a regimen of long-term pain medication, and you’re not suffering from some incurable condition, something’s probably not right. Discuss the matter with your doctor immediately. Help is available.

Finally, some good news on the battle against Alzheimer’s.

There is a growing consensus among Alzheimer’s treatment authorities that the most promising way to counter growing Alzheimer’s cases is through preventative treatment.

Interestingly, indications are that the treatment is not focused on drugs or other expensive medical procedures. Rather, the most promising avenues appear to be exercise and diet control with particular attention to blood pressure and cholesterol levels. 

As a general matter, such concerns apply to all people whether they are at risk for Alzheimer’s or not, but such activities are particularly important for those who are at risk. That fact highlights the importance of receiving an early diagnosis. If you have it, you know what you need to do. If one engages in diet control and exercise, early research strongly suggests that the onset of serious symptoms can be delayed for many years.

Controlling the Behavior of Your Loved One with Alzheimer’s

Probably the most difficult aspect of dealing with someone with Alzheimer’s is coping with occasional physical aggression.

Understand that the person’s inability to communicate effectively causes frustration and resulting acting out. Keep things simple in both communication and environment, and that will probably diminish aggressive or angry conduct. Interestingly, it also appears that over-stimulation can generate an aggressive reaction. The best approach, again, is to keep life as simple as possible for the person. Unfamiliar events or surroundings can be very confusing and upsetting to a person with Alzheimer’s, and those feelings can result in a physical lashing-out.

Consider that when memory is lost, it is only immediate emotions that matter. Memory is no longer available to provide the individual with guidance as to what conduct is appropriate and what’s not. In a very literal sense, people with Alzheimer’s typically live in the moment. That’s all that matters. There is no sense of what happened 15 minutes ago or what is likely to happen 15 minutes hence

How to Get Along with Your “Alzheimer’s Loved One”

The key to caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s is to learn to “go with the flow”. Because the brain functioning ability is greatly impaired, it is necessary to be simple. By that I mean that your loved one is unable to understand complicated directions, oral or visual, so focus on being straightforward, direct and simple. Give one instruction or request at a time. Further, understand that although Alzheimer’s patients have very short-term memory, they can and do learn routines. They find it very comforting and reassuring to know what to expect.  Accordingly, try to establish such a routine if possible. In other words, meals will be regular as will bed and nap times. Interestingly, a concern for a routine also applies to the person’s surroundings. Don’t change room colors or furniture location. Such changes can be quite confusing.

Dealing with a Loved One with Alzheimer’s Disease

There are a few tasks which are more difficult when dealing with a loved one with Alzheimer’s Disease while at the same time maintaining balance in one’s own life. As Alzheimer’s Disease progresses, the victim finds communication increasingly difficult. Further, personality is affected as well. They will become frustrated, sometimes angry, and occasionally physically aggressive. To say the least, this conduct will be extremely upsetting to you. Try to be patient. The anger, the frustration, is not directed at you. It is felt by that person who knows that things are changing within for the worse. Sometimes the anger is prompted by the person’s inability to communicate effectively. You can help by paying attention to non-verbal cues. If you raised children, think back to the times before your child started speaking – the wants, the needs, even the demands were expressed in non-verbal ways. To the extent that your loved one realizes that you are not only trying to understand him or her, but are actually doing so should have a calming effect. 

It is a natural reaction to think that you must devote every waking moment to caring for your loved one. But, that is an impossible task. You will certainly burn out before long if you do not set aside time for yourself. There are resources in the community such as respite care or adult daycare, etc., that will allow you to take a break from these responsibilities that you understandably feel so intensely. It truly is all right to feel selfish at times. If you are not, rest assured that you will shorten the time during which you are able to be of real help to your loved one. And it is highly likely that you will shorten your own life. Stress, indeed, does kill.