I also find this prevalence difficult to believe. However, I can see how this has come about. The older generations, generally, have been more accepting of authority. I have had a challenge in my family to tell the older people to fully question their docs, and tell them to shove off the minute the docs fail to serve them decently, such as answering simple questions: what is my diagnosis; why am I taking this pill; what alternatives are there for treatment?

And most older adults eventually come thru the medical care system for some reason.

So, they are sitting ducks for exploitation.

I have conducted many assessment interviews, in the course of a research project with older adults (65 plus), where I asked health care utilization questions. This included asking: tell me all meds you are taking. The rare interview included none, 1, or 2. Most included 4-5. some included, well, I would lose count.

For each med, I would ask: why do you take this?

Oftentimes, I would say more often than not, people Rx SSRI would not say "depression." The doc had constructed some other reason to sell the pt on the meds. Also, ppl Rx antianxiety meds would say "sleep," or "mood" This is not appropriate prescribing. If my memory serves me correctly, one woman was afraid of someone breaking in to her home. A pill will not make her feel secure, and will not make her more secure. An antianxiety pill will make her more vulnerable. Exactly the opposite effect.

No one ever told me that they had been seriously depressed, and the pills served the purpose of helping mood. Ppl typically answered: THe doc said I have some depressive symptoms (or needed help being more calm, etc.) and Rx these pills. The SSRIs.

This is simply a matter of shooting fish in a barrel for Big Pharma. Rates would be higher if not for limited insurance coverage.

I think there is a balance of forced drug-meds for the elderly ( to stop physical violence without the need of police or ropes), to over drugged-medicated ( no possible enjoyment of life of the elderly patient for the convience of the health/hospital workers).
"Thorazine can control the agitated, belligerent senile and help the patient to live a composed and useful life".

The elderly are more likely to have an adverse reaction to medications because their metabolism has slowed.

The SSRIs are particularly dangerous. Here is a case [in part] from SSRI Stories regarding a 77 year old woman who committed a murder-suicide.

http://www.ssristories.com/show.php?item=1382

Paragraph 5 reads: "Mercer County Prosecutor Maryann K. Bielamowicz said Hazel Powell had undergone treatment for an emotional disorder. Law enforcement sources said the woman recently had a prescription filled for the antidepressant Prozac."

Paragraphs 7 & 8 read: "The Prosecutor's Office said there seems to be no other motive behind the murder-suicide."

"The couple, who had been married for more than 50 years, were found dead in their home shortly before noon Thursday, police said. The murder-suicide took place sometime between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, police said."
______________________________________________________________________

DEATHS OF ELDERLY MERCER COUPLE A MURDER-SUICIDE, POLICE REPORT
The Record (New Jersey)
June 5, 1994
Author: The Associated Press; Wire services
Estimated printed pages: 1

An elderly Mercer County woman plunged a knife into her husband 35 times before stabbing herself 50 times, according to autopsy results released by the Prosecutor's Office.

Investigators said Friday they will wait for toxicology results to determine why Hazel Powell, 77, killed her 81-year-old husband, Mason Powell, and then herself. Results will not be available for several weeks.

Autopsy results show Hazel Powell's knife wounds were self-inflicted.

Ok, time to vent. Went to a support group last year sponsored by a major "grassroots" mental health advocacy group and was horrified to hear one of the participants talk about how her mother was in a nursing home and on psych meds. Do I know whether or not her mother is a senior? No. But, the daughter was about, 45, so I'm guessing the mother was at least 65. Anyway, the mother was having serious problems to include delusions, and she kept asking her daughter when/if she could leave. The daughter was really, really broken up about it and felt extremely guilty about leaving her mother there. The group's facilitators kept assuring the daughter that she was doing the right thing by her mother. They kept telling the daughter there was nothing she could do and that her mother was getting the treatment she needed in the nursing home. At the time, I had an inkling about the dangers of psych meds, but I didn't know all I know now...that PSYCHIATRIC DRUGS ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, especially for seniors and children!

I think about this woman in the nursing home often, and it just breaks my heart. I also think about the daughter and I hope she has done some research about the medication her mother is taking.