Caregiver challenges with oral medication administration when working with older adults with swallowing difficulties: A scoping review

BACKGROUND: Caregivers encounter challenges in oral medication administration to older adults with swallowing difficulties. These may include difficulties with modifications of medications and uncertainties about the safety of any modifications. These challenges may impact the well-being of both the care recipient and the caregiver, highlighting the need for greater awareness and support in this area. OBJECTIVES: To identify the challenges caregivers face in administering oral medications to older adults with swallowing difficulties. METHODS: Five databases were searched: Ovid, Embase, PubMed, CINAHL and Web of Science. RESULTS: Six studies were included from an initial pool of 1078 unique articles. Three common challenges were reported by caregivers: absence of appropriate and consistent information used in medication administration (n = 5); financial and availability concerns (n = 5); and inefficient and ineffective communication amongst the healthcare team (n = 5). CONCLUSIONS: Developing training programs for caregivers and improving communication among healthcare professionals involved in patient care are necessary to improve medication administration to older adults with swallowing difficulties.