Paid caregivers can make medication errors

CHICAGO, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Sixty percent of paid caregivers made errors when sorting medications into pillboxes and one-third had trouble reading directions, U.S. researchers say.

Dr. Lee Lindquist of Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine says the study involved nearly 100 paid, non-family caregivers in the Chicago area who were tested for their health literacy levels.

"We found that nearly 86 percent of the caregivers perform health-related tasks," Lindquist, the lead author, says in a statement. "Most of the caregivers are women, about 50 years old, many are foreign born or have a limited education. The jobs typically pay just under $9.00 per hour, but nearly one-third of the caregivers earn less than minimum wage."

The number of paid caregivers doling out medications incorrectly is an alarming statistic, because patients who don't take some medications as prescribed could be hospitalized, Lindquist says.

"Many of these caregivers are good people who don't want to disappoint and don't want to lose their jobs," Lindquist says.

"So they take on health-related responsibilities, such as giving out medications and accompanying clients to the doctor for appointments. Most physicians and family members do not realize that while the caregiver is nodding and saying 'yes,' she might not really understand what is being said."

The study is published online ahead of print in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.