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Show Long-Term Care For Elderly Covers Wide Range Of Issues By TOM BUSSELBERG CLEARFIELD -- Physicians Physi-cians should be alerted to the special needs of medication for the elderly or they could compound com-pound problems through mis-communication, mis-communication, the county council on aging was told Monday. THAT WAS one of many "messages" provided during a recent long-term care conference confer-ence as reported to the monthly month-ly council meeting held at the Clearfield Heritage Center. According to date released at the conference, elderly have reaction to drugs two-three times higher than average, said Marie Titus, alternatives program prog-ram specialist. THAT GROUP often suffers overmedication--not only through fault of the patient but over-prescribing by the physician. physi-cian. Senior citizens also have slower body functions resulting result-ing in slower elimination of drugs and body drug buildup. That helps account for 60 percent of drug-related emergency room patients coming from that group, Ms. Titus said, noting further the high cost of drugs influences over-the-counter medications being used "too frequently." A PATIENT'S doctor may be unaware of drugs being taken with 65 percent of di agnosis incorrect in those cases and more than four-fifth of secondary illness diagnosis incorrect. Reporting on the seminar, "A Place to Go and Live." Helen Bodily, outreach center said middle-income seniors are the "most neglected" in receiving re-ceiving assistance but noted "you should pick the home (or facility) to fit the resident. VISIT frequently. "You need to provide the same love as you did at home," she emphasized, adding that a nursing home should be selected with a current cur-rent license and administrator who is also licensed. THE QUALITY of care should be reviewed in all phises rather than leaving that entirely up to the law. she added. Speaking of exercise and physical fitness. Heritage Director Karmon Rouse said flexibility exercises designed to aid in everyday living may be good to implement on a regular reg-ular basis in the centers. OF THE topic "Abused Elderly and Crime Prevention" Preven-tion" she said between 500.000 and 2.5 million elderly are abused annually-or one in 10. But only 1 1 states, not including includ-ing Utah, have enacted protective protec-tive legislation. "When we have a case where we suspect it we have nothing we can do. 1 find that hard to deal with." Ms. Rowse said, noting the "most likely abuse candidate would be a white female. 75 years of age or older, frail, living at home or with relatives. THOSE GIVING the abuse are not criminals, generally, but family members who may be spending 60-80 hours a week taking care of elderly relatives. re-latives. "People are stressed. They don't have help and don't know where to turn." Providing respite care, or relief, re-lief, for those family members on a regular basis could alleviate allevi-ate much of the problem, she emphasized, adding that the elderly are wary of reporting any abuse because they would have nowhere else to turn for help. CARMA Bradshaw, home-maker home-maker supervisor, said 25-year-olds don't think they need to look to retirement planning, those at 45 better be seriously studying and planning plan-ning while it's too late at age 65. "One third oflife(now)will be spent in retirement and people peo-ple should be looking at the prospect of a second mate." And when the issue of "Death and Dying" comes up, she noted. "People should have the right to the treatment they want" such as whether they should be allowed to die or want o plan their own funeral, fun-eral, for instance. |