tailieunhanh - Preventing Disability in the Elderly With Chronic Disease

Prescribed medication taken in conjunction with alcohol can cause adverse side effects and generally, older people are advised not to drink when they are taking other drugs. Problems caused by using alcohol and other drugs concurrently may include a diminished effect of the drugs in an individual who drinks regularly and the increased sensitivity to drugs conferred by malnutrition and severe liver damage, for example cirrhosis. Alcohol in moderate amounts can depress the rate of drug metabolism so that the action of some drugs is exaggerated, such as benzodiazipines. drugs which act on the central nervous system, such as diazepam (Valium), depress the rate of alcohol breakdown. | __ RESEARCH IN ACTION Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Issue 3 April 2002 Preventing Disability in the Elderly With Chronic Disease The population of disabled elderly in the United States is growing rapidly. The number of Americans who will suffer functional disability due to arthritis stroke diabetes coronary artery disease cancer or cognitive impairment is expected to increase at least 300 percent by Although people tend to develop chronic conditions as they age growing old does not have to mean becoming disabled. Research sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality AHRQ led to the development of the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program CDSMP a patient self-management program that can help prevent or delay disability even in patients with arthritis heart disease or These patients are taught how to better manage their symptoms adhere to medication regimens and maintain functional Additional research funded by AHRQ has also shown that education and lifestyle changes can reduce disability control costs and have a positive influence on the quality of life of America s elderly. Making a Difference Patients enrolled in the Chronic Disease SelfManagement Program CDSMP improved their health and reduced their use of health 2 CDSMP participants reduced their health care 3 Education and lifestyle changes helped patients successfully change smoking alcohol consumption nutrition and weight control 4 Education and exercise helped to improve function in heart failure 4 Disability has far-reaching consequences Almost 75 percent of the elderly age 65 and over have at least one chronic About 50 percent have at least two chronic Chronic conditions can lead to severe and immediate disabilities such as hip fractures and stroke as well as progressive disability that slowly erodes the ability of elderly people to care for