Associations between drug burden index and physical function in older people in residential aged care facilities.

摘要

The functional decline seen in older people results in a need for increased support from carers, health care services and residential aged care facilities (RACFs) 1. Impaired physical function in older people predicts nursing home placement and death 2. While advances in medical management have aided in managing many diseases, certain classes of medications have adverse effects on physical function in older adults 3-5. Expert consensus panels have compiled criteria for drugs that are potentially inappropriate for older people 5-8. Anticholiriergic and sedative drugs occur frequently in tiiese criteria; however, the effects of cumulative exposure are not addressed.