C. Dellasega et Ml. Stricklin, USE OF CENTRAL-NERVOUS-SYSTEM MEDICATIONS AMONG ELDERLY HOME HEALTH CLIENTS, Applied nursing research, 9(3), 1996, pp. 130-135
Older persons consume a disproportionate share of all medications disp
ensed in the United States. In particular, medications acting upon the
central nervous system (CNS) have been overprescribed for elderly per
sons, both in and out of the institutional setting. Although researche
rs have studied drug use by elders who live in the community, little i
s known about the use of CNS medications by ill older persons who live
at home. This descriptive study examined the use of CNS medications i
n a group of elderly persons (N=141) admitted to a visiting nurse asso
ciation for skilled care. Subjects resided in the community of a large
midwestern city. Approximately half of the subjects used some type of
CNS drug. Sedative/hypnotic and narcotic and opoid analgesics, two ca
tegories of medications with the potential for serious side effects, w
ere most frequently prescribed. Nurses in community and institutional
settings are in an ideal position to screen and monitor the use of CNS
medications by homebound ill elders. Copyright (C) 1996 by W.B. Saund
ers Company.