Responsibility and Routines: How Older People Manage Their Long-Term Medication

Abstract

This paper explores the daily routines of people aged 75 or more who live in their own homes and who have been receiving prescribed medication for twelve months or more. It draws on a representative UK sample of 77 such people and uses a variety of methods: diaries, interviews and observation. First it examines patterns of medication, identifying different daily routines and the impact of disruptions and intermittent medication. It then goes on to consider ways of organising and managing medication. This focuses on three key elements: storage, access and reminders. In conclusion, it argues that if a more collaborative approach to prescribing is to replace the traditional emphasis upon compliance, then a clearer understanding of the daily routines of later life is much needed.