Psychotropic Prescription

Assessment Task 2: Discussion Board
Introduction
Psychotropic prescription is used in residential aged care settings to manage behaviors and psychological symptoms of dementia. Psychotropic medications, including benzodiazepines, antidepressants, and antipsychotics, are prescribed to aged people to manage behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. It may be classified as chemical restraint if used to manage behavior. The prescribed medications to the aged in Australia may potentially lead to hospitalization, stroke, increased risks of falls, and heavy mortality (Australian Government, 2020). Thus, informed consent is proposed for psychotropic medication as governed by state laws. This paper will use the PICO model to analyze the population, interventions, comparison, and outcomes of administering psychotropic drugs for people with dementia in residential aged care in Australia. Breaking the research question into four components helps identify the relevant information.

PICO Framework
The research question of interest is, why people with dementia in residential aged care in Australia reduced their quality of life by prescribed psychotropic medication than non-residential care elderly people?
P-Elderly people with Dementia
I-psychotropic medication
C-None-aged care resident
O-reduced quality of life

Participants included aged people living in residential aged care facilities suffering from dementia. These people are more likely to experience a reduced quality of life than those in the community. People with dementia experience reduced quality of life due to degeneration of cognitive function and mood. They also experience the risk of harm, delusions and hallucinations, and pre-existing mental health conditions.
The primary intervention for people living with dementia in Australia is psychotropic medication. The psychotropic medication consists of different prescriptions, which are antipsychotics, antidepressants, anxiolytics and hypnotics, and anti-dementia medications (Australian Government, 2020). Antipsychotics are commonly used on aged people with dementia due to severe agitation and aggression. However, using these medications may increase the risk of stroke and death. The aged may use antidepressants to relieve psychological and physical symptoms of depression, and their use may increase with severity. Less severe depression may be treated using psychological therapies. Anxiolytics and hypnotics are used as short-term treatments for anxiety and restlessness. Anti-dementia medications are designed for patients needing to improve cognitive function and slow rate of progression in dementia.
Aged people under psychotropic medications have a lower quality of life than those in residential settings. This is because these medications have potentially serious side effects and thus should be used intermittently rather than regularly.
Outcomes
Psychotropic medications can cause many adverse effects, such as cardiovascular complications and mental disorders. The aged population under these medications may experience behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), including neuropsychiatric disturbances such as aggression, apathy, depression, and agitation. An adoption of a home-like model of residential care may help mitigate these outcomes.

Conclusion
The prescriptions of psychotropic medications to aged people are associated with lower quality of life. Most aged people using psychotropic medications should seek informed consent to ensure the patient understands the prescribed information. Hospitals should consider this relationship to treat older people in residential aged care facilities (Harrison et al., 2018). They should act following the Quality-of-Care Principles 2014 made under section 96-1 of the Aged Care Act 1997.

References
Australian Government (2020). Psychotropic medications used in Australia: Information for aged care. Retrieved from: https://www.agedcarequality.gov.au/sites/default/files/media/acqsc_psychotropic_medications_v10_hr.pdf

Harrison S., Bradley C., Milte R., Liu E., Kouladjian O’Donnell L., Hilmer S., & Crotty M. (2018). Psychotropic medications in older people in residential care facilities and associations with quality of life: a cross-sectional study. BMC Geriatrics, 18(1):60. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6389148/