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Prescription drug misuse among older adults includes inappropriate and harmful use of these drugs. In this study, prescription drug misuse in assisted living settings as reported by direct care workers (DCWs) was examined. Data came from DCWs in 45 assisted living settings located in Pennsylvania. A total of 944 DCWs completed a questionnaire on their opinions of prescription drug misuse. DCWs believed most assisted living residents take prescription medications. In addition, 10% of DCWs observed or had evidence that residents used unnecessarily high doses, 30% were preoccupied with the cost of prescription drugs, and 26% had problems understanding the complexity of their drug treatment regimen. Prescription drug misuse may be a problem of importance in assisted living settings. Assisted living has experienced rapid growth in capacity, yet the ability of these settings and their residents to manage prescription drugs may not have kept pace with this growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohol misuse and abuse in Assisted Living (AL) as reported by nurse aides is examined. Data came from a secondary analysis of nurse aides included in the Pennsylvania nurse aide registry. A total of 832 nurse aides had a prior place of employment in AL. Information reported from these nurse aides include the percent of residents identified as drinking alcohol, opinions of alcohol misuse and abuse, and the prevalence of alcohol misuse and abuse. Nurse aides believe a majority (69%) of AL residents drink alcohol. Of these residents, 34% are thought to drink alcohol daily. Estimated prevalence rates show that in 19% of cases nurse aides believe alcohol consumption has influenced residents’ health and 28% are suspected to make poor choices for alcohol consumption. The findings present preliminary evidence that alcohol misuse and abuse may be a problem of importance in AL. Given the potential impact of this on the health, safety, and quality of life for elders, more attention should be focused on alcohol misuse and abuse by residents living in AL. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses the economic loss torts law doctrine and a recommendation for the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania to adopt such a rule as of June 2011 as a means of delineating a clear line between contract and tort law claims in the state, including products liability claims. A two-year difference between the Pennsylvania statute of limitations for contracts and the statute for torts is also examined.