• Need help organizing your medicines, vitamins, and other supplements?
• Not sure if your doctors know what you are taking?
• Are you at risk for mismanaging your medications?

A recent report, A Profile of Seniors in British Columbia, produced by the Ministry of Health 2004, identified the growing concern of medication management for seniors.

Some of the report’s findings:

• 94% of seniors live in the community, most in private residence.
• 7% of older women, age 75 and over, live alone.
  
• Isolation leads to health-related issues.
  
• 75% of BC seniors take prescription medications on a regular basis.
  
• Over 45% of seniors take more than two medications a day for different health problems and up to 4% are taking more than 15 medications a day.
  
• Between 18% and 50% of seniors are mismanaging their medications.
  
• Between 19% and 28% of hospital admissions for seniors are due to medication problems.
  
• 40% of these admissions are due to mismanagement of medication.

Source: A Profile of Seniors in British Columbia, 2004; p61

(see attached PDF file Medication Management for Seniors Living in the Community)

Learn about a new community support program available in South Delta called Integrated Medication Management Program