Forgetting Medications More Common As Age Increases For Seniors

Managing the daily medications for the elderly can be a challenge, and failing to do so can have serious consequences. According to UPI, new research suggests that the problem of missed pills rises with age and failing memory, especially for men. Brenda Jamerson is from the Center on Biobehavioral Health Disparities Research at Duke University, in Durham, North Carolina, and is the study's lead author. The study found trouble taking the right medications at the right time rose with advancing age. For example, at the start of the study, just over 7 percent of the seniors required help taking their medications. Three years later, Jamerson's team found 11 percent of those who did not need help at the start of the study required some assistance. The research showed overall, people aged 80 and older were 1.5 to 3 times more likely to require help taking medications than those ages 65 to 69.The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society published the findings earlier this month.