Wow, today I am attaching five articles regarding ADHD in the Geriatic community. I wonder how many of us have looked into the nuances of diagnosis, treatment and coaching in the older population? Are stimulant medications safe and effective for Geriatric clients? What other comorbid conditions might affect ADHD? Is chronic pain a frequent challenge for people over 65 years old? Is depression or grief common? How does the coaching paradigm fit for Geriatric clients? Are medical and psychiatric providers adequately trained to recognize and treat ADHD in the geriatric population? How can we as coaches assist geriatric clients through this journey?
AARP weighs in and points out that post menopausal woman will often be under diagnosed or not given proper screening. Cognitive decline may be secondary to ADHD as well as other conditions. Is treatment with stimulant medications safe for elderly clients? The ADHD evidence blog proposes that hypertension and cardiac symptoms are minimal for geriatric clients taking stimulant medications.
Certainly the saying, pills don’t build skills applies to all age groups, but medications can certainly be considered. As coaches, we don’t advocate for or against medical pharmacological treatements, but we can refer clients to psychiatric and cardiac specialist for evaluation of the safety for pharmacological treatment. Geriatric clients are not necasarially automatically excluded for pharmacological interventions. All these articles support pharmacological therapy after appropriate screening and medical intervention.
As we age, we face so very many changes in our lives. We must ask our clientele so many questions to determine what their life history includes. What are your hobbies in your lifetime? What do you do for fun? Who do you rely on for support? What medical conditions are affecting your lifestyle? How can your family help you? Have you sought the opinion of medical advice, evaluation for cognitive decline and interventions? How can we support you in your journey towards wellness?
Over the past 6 years, I have helped many geriatric clients through this adventure. Often the questions are the same, but different as we age. For me, now at 70 years old, I know that I dont’ know anything.
Life is a journey. How we end our race is a circuitous path. Let us walk together with love, support and common sense.
https://www.adhdevidence.org/blog/how-effective-and-safe-are-stimulant-medications-for-older-adults
https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/adhd-in-older-adults-symptoms-diagnosis-treatment
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4712975
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