Aug. 18 — Research team explores social dynamics in caregiving
A research team from the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis published the article, “Medication Takeovers: Covert Druggings and Behavioral Control in Alzheimer’s,” in Social Science and Medicine. Brandon Berry, a sociologist and postdoctoral fellow at the school from 2013 to 2016, and Ester Carolina Apesoa-Verano, an associate professor and sociologist, explored the social dynamics of medication use in households where family caregivers administered medications to Alzheimer’s disease patients. The researchers assessed the role of family caregivers as administrators of medication to minimize errors. Brandon and Carolina also looked at how behavioral management played into the dynamics of families and the health care team. The sociologists examined if these relationships posed an ethical dilemma of justifying the use of behavior-altering medication to preserve order within the home. The authors suggest providers work to develop medication toolkits and also seek to better understand their relationships with family caregivers. Study funding was provided by the UC Davis Latino Aging Research Resource Center.

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