Too many seniors with dementia are being prescribed drugs that cause confusion and worsen cognitive function, according to findings of a new study based on Canadian data.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society in March, found that 60 per cent of seniors living in long-term care institutions take cholinesterase inhibitors, which combat the symptoms of dementia, as well as anticholinergic drugs, which are well-known to cause confusion and other forms of cognitive impairment. Among seniors living in the community, nearly 40 per cent are prescribed cholinesterase inhibitors and anticholinergic drugs. The risks are highest among those seniors seeing multiple physicians.
Full article at: Globe and Mail