On 24-25 June, I had the honour of representing dementia caregivers and the Turkish Alzheimer's Association at an event organised by the European Geriatric Medicine Society (EuGMS). I was invited to participate in a roundtable discussion on the topic of optimal medication use. The purpose of the event was "to explore all possibilities for improving the benefit/risk ratio of medications through public health policies, education of physicians and other health professionals, and the empowerment of patients and caregivers."
As a caregiver for my mother, who has Alzheimer's and vascular dementia, I was relieved to see that the issues that had been confusing us about her medication regimen over the last four years were a primary concern for the geriatric specialists. This realisation was both a relief and a significant benefit for me, and I am truly grateful. During the meeting, a doctor remarked, "It is normal to have many complaints and use many medications at an advanced age, but using more than 5-6 medications raises suspicion of unnecessary medication." A Belgian doctor also noted, "An elderly person should have his son or daughter with him when he goes to the doctor," explaining that the patient may not fully understand or may forget the doctor's recommendations - or worse, may not share them with their family at all.
It was also highlighted that certain medications frequently prescribed by urology and cardiology could pose additional risks for older patients due to side effects, drug-drug interactions, or drug-disease interactions. The importance of communication and collaboration between different medical specialties when treating older patients was emphasised, along with the need for electronic health records to flag risky drug combinations. The abbreviations frequently used during the meeting - many of which were new to me - are a reflection of the common challenges faced in geriatrics:
• STOPP: Screening Tool of Older Peoples Prescriptions
• START: Screening Tool to Alert to the Right Treatment
• IMU: Inappropriate Medication Use
• FRID: Fall Risk Increasing Drugs.
