Factors effecting the habit of using drugs of elderly residents living in nursing homes residents in Elazig, Malatya and Kayseri

Due to the fact that the society is getting older, the rates of acute and chronic diseases and multi drug use have increased The object of this study is to examine drug using behaviour of the old living m nursing home located in Elazig, Malatya and Kayseri provinces and the factors which are considered to be related to these behaviours.People over the age of 60 (n - 310), living in nursing home located in Elazig, Malatya and Kayseri provinces, have constituted target population of the study in cross- sectional typed study. Any samples has not been selected, 310 people living in nursing home is in the scope of the study and 255 people (response rate 82,2%) have been reached. 60,8 % (n=155) of people over the age of 60, participating in this study, reside in Kayseri, 19,6% of these people (n=50) reside in Elazig and 9,6 % of these people (n=50) reside in Malatya nursing home. The data of this study has been gathered through the technique of poll which was conducted person to person. The obtained data has been evaluated by percentage, average and X2 (chi square) analyses in statistical package program.64,7% of the old within the scope of this research is male, 35,3% of these people is female and their average age is 72,7± 8,2. Any chronic diseases has been detected in 91,0% of the old. The most common disease the old people suffered is hypertension (55,2%) 87,8% of the old have been using one and more drugs (polypharmacy) and the most common use i medicine group is antihypertensive drugs (52,2%). it has been determined that 97,3% of the old people have been using their medicines in recommended way and those using contrarily have taken many medicines and mixed them up. Women use more drugs compared to men (p<0,05). It has been detected that women feel worse about their health than men (p<0,05). As the education level increases, women and men comprehend their health situations much better (p<0,05).Consequently, it has been found that the old people living in nursing home use more than one drug. Therefore, it is advised that the doctors and nurses working for nursing home pay attention to the old carrying risks in terms of misuse of medicines, keep a close watch on these people inform them constantly regarding using drug and support them,Key words: old, drug using behaviours, nursing home, polypharmacy