Medication Non-Compliance contributes to approximately 60% of hospital admissions for those over 60 years of age. What steps can be taken to get the Alzheimer’s client who refuses to swallow meds to comply?
The problem of obesity has tripled in the last 30 years. How many people do you expect perform their prescribed exercise program? How many people have you known who refused to use their walker or couldn’t put their oxygen on properly?
Medical compliance researchers have produced more than 4000 scientific papers in the past three decades, but their research into determinants of non-compliance has been INCONCLUSIVE. What else would be expected? We are all emotional, willful, and thoughtful. Cognitive function does not end when illness begins, nor does our stubborn desire to be and do what we please regardless of intelligent thought.
A dictionary definition for compliance says, a tendency to yield readily to others, especially in a weak and subservient way. This definition does not describe most healthcare users. Our generation has been taught to question and control our affairs. We are less likely to tolerate being spoken to with arrogance or authoritative tones than previous generations.
What happens when we add the complication of a client having a brain injury, dementia or depression. It can be hard enough to get them to take their medication let alone do their therapy. I believe there are things that we can do to help these clients have successful outcomes. Its just a matter of unlocking their unwritten personal code to compliance.
I teach three basics that will help you to treat these clients successfully. They will guide you through your interactions and reactions while serving these clients. If you chose to learn them, they will require you to have courage to face each client as an individual. Your results will be life changing and the successes you will see will speak for themselves.
I am available to talk to your group about “The Non-Compliant Client, How to combat problems that come with troubled clients.” We will review the three basics and several examples from my 17 years as a registered nurse.
Written by, Daniel Story, RN
