Nursing diagnoses of elderly patients using multiple drugs

Abstract

Considering that elderly people using multiple drugs are prone to a higher vulnerability of their health conditions, in this study we proposed to identify nursing diagnoses, according to NANDA´s taxonomy II, in a group of elderly people who use five or more drugs. Sixty-seven elderly people were selected using the Wide Geriatric Evaluation (WGE), out of 301 elderly residents from a Family Health Program (PSF) unit. All of the 67 seniors presented a total 16 diagnostic categories, an average of 5.2 diagnostics/elderly: 59.7% of them having chronic pain; 58.2% with impaired physical mobility; 47.7% with unbalanced nutrition: more than the body needs; and 47.7% have an inefficient control of the therapeutic regimen, among others. These diagnoses reveal the need for measures involving changes in lifestyle, as well as a systematic following of these elderly people.