Geriopharmacotherapy in Home Health Care

Home health care, as an organized entity in the continuum of health care in the U.S., is a fairly new phenomenon. Geriopharmacotherapy in Home Health Care looks at the state of the pharmaceutical arena in home health care. With origins in a federally funded grant program, five state programs--North Carolina, Hawaii, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Utah--have evolved into a progressively interactive group, with certain common problems and perceptions across states, both in medications and other programmatic concerns. The contributing authors of this book examine several of these problems and concerns in detail. Each chapter assists readers in understanding the pharmaceutical endeavors undertaken through the initiative and creativity of these state-funded home health programs, which are still developing and growing. There are multiple concerns about the impact of medication on patients cared for by home health care workers, among them, the high incidence of chronic diseases, debilitating illnesses, and the potential for adverse reactions to medication. Several of the topics explored in detail include: a critical analysis of the medications patients consume how to clinically critique problems and seek interventions to remedy therapeutic and clinical problems survey results on pharmaceutical services from home health agencies in North Carolina needed modifications in available computer software to provide optimal computer capabilities for consultant pharmacy services an examination and comparison of several software programs for practicality and logistical capabilities Geriopharmacotherapy in Home Health Care documents the outgrowth of program innovation and the creativity of five states'current status of home health care pharmacy. With continued tremendous growth in the elderly population, the demands on home health care will continue to grow dramatically for years to come. Home health care professionals--nurses, nurses aids, consultant pharmacists, agency directors and workers--will find the developments in this book informative as they increase and improve the services available to homebound elderly.