Social and Administrative Sciences Division, University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Pharmacy, 777 Highland Ave., Madison, WI, 53705-2222, USA.
Social and Administrative Sciences Division, University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Pharmacy, 777 Highland Ave., Madison, WI, 53705-2222, USA.
Res Social Adm Pharm. 2018 May;14(5):418-426. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2017.05.005. Epub 2017 May 16.
Medication management is commonly performed by informal caregivers, yet they are often unprepared and ill-equipped to manage complex medication regimens for their older adult care recipients. In order to develop interventions that will enhance the caregiver's ability to safely and confidently manage medications, it is critical to first understand caregiver challenges and unmet needs related to medication management.
To explore how informal caregivers manage medications for their older adult care recipients by identifying the activities involved in medication management and the tools or strategies used to facilitate these activities.
Four focus groups with caregivers of older adults were conducted with 5-9 caregivers per group. Participants were asked to describe the medication management activities performed and the tools or strategies used to facilitate these activities. Focus groups were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed for themes using an inductive approach.
Caregivers were commonly involved in 2 types of activities: direct activities requiring physical handling of medications such as obtaining medications, preparing pill boxes, and assisting with medication administration; and indirect activities that were more complex and required more of a cognitive effort by the caregiver, such as organizing and tracking medications, gathering information, and making treatment decisions. They utilized a variety of tools and strategies to support these medication management activities; however, these approaches often needed to be modified or personalized to meet the specific needs of their caregiving situation.
Informal caregivers play a vital role in ensuring safe and appropriate medication use by older adults. Medication management is complex and involves many activities that are supported through the use of a variety of tools and strategies that have been adapted and individualized to each specific caregiving scenario. Caregivers should be an important component of interventions that aim to improve medication use among older adults.
药物管理通常由非正式照护者执行，但他们往往没有准备好，也没有能力为其老年照护接受者管理复杂的药物治疗方案。为了开发能够增强照护者安全自信地管理药物的能力的干预措施，首先了解与药物管理相关的照护者挑战和未满足的需求至关重要。
通过确定药物管理中涉及的活动以及用于促进这些活动的工具或策略，来探讨非正式照护者如何为其老年照护接受者管理药物。
对 4 组老年照护者进行了 4 次焦点小组讨论，每组有 5-9 名照护者参加。要求参与者描述他们执行的药物管理活动以及用于促进这些活动的工具或策略。对焦点小组进行了录音、逐字记录，并采用归纳法进行了主题分析。
照护者通常参与 2 种类型的活动：直接活动，需要物理处理药物，如获取药物、准备药盒和协助药物管理；以及间接活动，这些活动更复杂，需要照护者付出更多的认知努力，例如组织和跟踪药物、收集信息和做出治疗决策。他们利用了各种工具和策略来支持这些药物管理活动；然而，这些方法往往需要根据其照护情况进行修改或个性化。
非正式照护者在确保老年人安全和适当使用药物方面发挥着至关重要的作用。药物管理很复杂，涉及许多活动，这些活动通过使用各种工具和策略来支持，这些工具和策略已经根据每个特定的照护情况进行了调整和个性化。照护者应该是旨在改善老年人药物使用的干预措施的重要组成部分。
