Department of Medicine & Advanced Technology, University of Toronto, 27 King's College Cir, Toronto, ON M5S, Canada
Received: 01 July, 2024, Manuscript No. jnhs-24-154185; Editor Assigned: 03 July, 2024, Pre QC No. P-154185; Reviewed: 17 July, 2024, QC No. Q-154185; Revised: 24 July, 2024, Manuscript No. R-154185; Published: 31 July, 2024, DOI: 10.4172/JNHS.2024.10.4.152
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Elderly patients' chronic disease management depends heavily on medication adherence because non-adherence can have a negative impact on their health and raise medical expenses. In order to encourage drug adherence in this susceptible group, home health nurses are essential. The importance of medication adherence in the elderly is discussed in this study paper, along with the obstacles to adherence and the several strategies used by home health nurses to improve medication adherence. The paper also highlights how crucial technology and interdisciplinary teamwork are to helping home health nurses assist medication adherence. The results highlight how important home health nurses are to enhancing senior patients' quality of life and health outcomes.
The number of senior people is increasing quickly, and this comes with a rise in chronic illness prevalence. Since medication adherence has a direct impact on health outcomes and quality of life, it is essential for the proper management of chronic disorders. As members of the multidisciplinary healthcare team, home health nurses are crucial in encouraging senior patients to take their medications as prescribed [1-3]. Given the numerous chronic illnesses that older individuals frequently deal with, medication adherence is essential. Increased hospitalizations, illness progression, mortality rates, and medical expenses are all linked to poor adherence. In order to improve medication adherence and improve health outcomes and general well-being, home health nurses can be quite helpful in addressing these issues. Elderly individuals non-adherence to medication is caused by a variety of obstacles. Cognitive impairments, polypharmacy, complicated drug regimens, ignorance, financial hardships, sadness, social isolation, and physical restrictions are a few examples. Home health nurses must be aware of these obstacles in order to modify interventions and support plans appropriately.
Elderly patients and their caregivers can get information and counseling from home health nurses about the significance of drug adherence, possible adverse effects, and appropriate delivery methods. In order to improve comprehension and promote adherence, they also address issues and misunderstandings. With the use of pill organizers, medication regimens, and reminders, home health nurses help patients keep track of their prescriptions. They identify any problems or adverse effects, monitor adherence, and perform routine drug evaluations. To simplify dosage and optimize prescription regimens, nurses may work in conjunction with pharmacists and other medical specialists. Individualized cares plans are created by home health nurses, taking into account each patient's particular requirements and preferences. This customized strategy encourages drug adherence by fostering a sense of empowerment and ownership [4,5]. It is crucial for patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals to collaborate and communicate effectively. In order to guarantee proper medication reconciliation, expedite care transitions, and swiftly address drug-related problems, home health nurses help patients, doctors, pharmacists, and other members of the healthcare team coordinate.
Technological developments present new ways to encourage older adults to take their medications as prescribed. To improve medication management, offer real-time support, and monitor adherence, home health nurses can make use of telehealth, smartphone apps, smart devices, and remote monitoring systems. In addition to facilitating prompt interventions, these tools can enhance patient participation and self-management. In order to encourage drug adherence, cooperation amongst medical experts is essential. In order to create thorough care plans, handle medication-related concerns, and maximize therapeutic results, home health nurses collaborate closely with doctors, pharmacists, social workers, and other team members. Assessing how home health nurses affect medication adherence is essential to determining how successful their interventions are. The results can be evaluated using a variety of research techniques, including drug adherence assessments, qualitative interviews, and quantitative surveys.
Surveys or questionnaires given to senior citizens or their caregivers can be used as quantitative tools to gauge medication adherence rates, perceived obstacles, and satisfaction with home health nurses' interventions. These metrics can yield numerical data that can be examined to find statistical significance, trends, and correlations.
To sum up, home health nurses play a critical role in encouraging senior people to take their medications as prescribed. By addressing the obstacles to adherence, their interventions—which include teamwork, education, counseling, and medication management—help to enhance health outcomes. In order to improve the well-being of senior patients, home health nurses can increase their efforts and play a critical role in supporting medication adherence by embracing technology and encouraging interdisciplinary teamwork. To maximize medication adherence in this susceptible population and continuously improve the efficacy of these therapies, more investigation and assessment are required.
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