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Consultation for Nursing Homes and Geriatric Facilities

 

Dr. Chemda Chayen has unique expertise in the field of medicinal treatment of the elderly (geriatric pharmacology).  Geriatrics in general, and geriatric pharmacology in particular, require distinct know-how.  Naturally, the elderly, certainly those who live in geriatric care facilities, are being simultaneously treated for several conditions.  Even those who live independently nonetheless regularly take numerous different medications.

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With this in mind, one must exercise extreme caution when prescribing medications to this unique population, taking into consideration the sensitive condition of the patient as well as the large number of medications the patient is likely taking simultaneously.  On the one hand, these patients are quite sensitive due to the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes that take place with aging, coupled with the possibility of multiple diseases or conditions suffered by the patient.  On the other hand, regarding the medicinal treatment, as the patients take more and more different medications, the possibility of negative interactions between the medicines increases.

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Therefore, the medical staff of geriatric facilities, whether they are nursing homes or assisted living facilities, are faced with a complex challenge when trying to provide medicinal solutions to the residents.  That is why it is so important to train the medical staff in the basics of geriatric pharmacology.

Dr. Chayen’s clinical pharmacology workshops train the medical staff of geriatric facilities to provide the optimal medicinal treatment for their elderly population.  The workshop includes multiple meetings (usually five).  Generally, the focus is on learning the international guidelines for treating specific illnesses, including the various treatment options, their advantages and disadvantages, and how to determine which one is preferable to the other in different circumstances.  Likewise, real case studies are learned and analyzed. 

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The first meeting is an introduction to polypharmacy and geriatrics.  The following lessons focus on specific diseases common among the elderly and their various treatments.  The staff will learn different methods and receive practical training for proper treatment, assorted medications, prioritization of treatments, and the specific characteristics of certain medicines.  Likewise, the staff will be introduced to new medications and the latest advances in treatment.  As mentioned above, the workshop includes practical exercises based on real cases in order to implement and apply the material. 

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Throughout the workshop, one of the primary goals is to provide the staff with the tools necessary to create medicinal treatment regimens on behalf of their patients.  This is a complicated subject that requires great expertise, however, throughout the workshop, the medical staff is provided with general guidelines that were designed to enable the staff to enjoy a greater degree of flexibility when they approach the task of medicinal regimen building for patients in complicated situations.  An individually tailored treatment regimen is the best way to ensure that the patient receives the maximum benefit from the medications.

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Additionally, there is a workshop that is offered to the residents of these facilities as well.  Senior citizens, certainly those who live independently in senior housing, have a vested interest in understanding the complex medicinal treatment that they receive.  The workshop for residents covers topics such as how to identify problems that can be a result of medications, basics of proper treatment, being aware of medicinal interactions, side effects, and improper treatment.  Furthermore, the residents will learn about nutritional supplements, over-the-counter drugs, and their interactions with other medications.