Managing medications among individuals with mild cognitive impairment and dementia: Patient-caregiver perspectives

Managing medications among individuals with mild cognitive impairment and dementia: Patient-caregiver perspectives
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, by Rachel O'Conor, Andrea M Russell, Allison Pack, Dianne Oladejo, Sarah Filec, Emily Rogalski, Darby Morhardt, Lee A Lindquist, Michael S Wolf; 7/24
With changing cognitive abilities, individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia face challenges in successfully managing multidrug regimens. We sought to understand how individuals with MCI or dementia and their family caregivers manage multidrug regimens and better understand patient-to-caregiver transitions in medication management responsibilities. To ease medication management transitions, balance must be sought between preservation of older adult autonomy and early family caregiver involvement. Clinicians should work to initiate conversations with family caregivers and individuals living with MCI or dementia about transitioning medication responsibilities as memory loss progresses, simplify regimens, and deprescribe, as appropriate.