Effect of medications on physical function and cognition in nursing home residents with dementia.

Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of medications used in the management of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) on cognition and activity of daily living (ADL) trajectories and to determine whether sex modifies these effects.

Design: Two-year (2007-2008) longitudinal study.

Setting: Medicare enrollment and claims data linked to the Minimum Dataset 2.

Pharmacotherapeutic management of dementia across settings of care.

Objectives: To describe population-based use of cognitive-enhancing and psychopharmacological medications across care settings in Medicare beneficiaries with dementia.

Design: One-year (2008) cross-sectional study.

Setting: Medicare administrative claims from a 5% random sample.

The effect of dementia on medication use and adherence among Medicare beneficiaries with chronic heart failure.

Background: Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (ADRD) are prevalent in older adults, increase the costs of chronic heart failure (CHF) management, and may be associated with undertreatment of cardiovascular disease.

Objective: The purpose of our study was to determine the relationship between comorbid ADRD and CHF medication use and adherence among Medicare beneficiaries with CHF.

Methods: This 2-year (1/1/2006-12/31/2007) cross-sectional study used data from the Chronic Condition Data Warehouse of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Medication reconciliation during the transition to and from long-term care settings: a systematic review.

Background: Medication reconciliation has been recognized as an important process in care transitions to prevent adverse health outcomes. Because older adults have multiple comorbid conditions and use multiple medications, they are more likely to experience complicated transitions between acute and long-term care settings. Hence, it is important to develop effective interventions to protect older adults at transition points of care.