Potential Prescription Drug Misuse in Assisted Living

Prescription drug misuse among older adults includes inappropriate and harmful use of these drugs. In this study, prescription drug misuse in assisted living settings as reported by direct care workers (DCWs) was examined. Data came from DCWs in 45 assisted living settings located in Pennsylvania. A total of 944 DCWs completed a questionnaire on their opinions of prescription drug misuse. DCWs believed most assisted living residents take prescription medications. In addition, 10% of DCWs observed or had evidence that residents used unnecessarily high doses, 30% were preoccupied with the cost of prescription drugs, and 26% had problems understanding the complexity of their drug treatment regimen. Prescription drug misuse may be a problem of importance in assisted living settings. Assisted living has experienced rapid growth in capacity, yet the ability of these settings and their residents to manage prescription drugs may not have kept pace with this growth.