Relationship of number of medications to functional status, health, and quality of life for the frail home-based older adult

Number of medications and its relationship to functional status, health, and quality of life in 1,099 frail home-based older adults were examined. Using a general linear model, the number of medications was significant to cognition (P = .004; β = 0.16), instrumental activities of daily living (P < .0001; β = 0.13), and health (P = .0001; odds ratio = 0.92, 95% confidence interval = 0.83 to 0.96). But increased age (P < .0001; β = -.12) and male gender (P < .0001; β = -1.9), inversely associated with cognition, point to the emergence of a high-risk group who have a greater need for occupational therapy intervention, specifically medication management.