Older people are looked after in various care settings, which impacts the amount of support they receive to manage their medicines. Care settings include:

Care at home €“ with or without the support of relatives and friends. Some require formal help for personal care (e.g. bathing) and/or assistance with daily living (e.g. taking medicines). If carers are helping to remind an older person about their medicines then their workload may influence home visit times, which may dictate the time and frequency of administration. These are important factors to consider when their medicines and formulations are chosen

Social housing €“ provides some support for day-to-day living. Usually, it is non-clinical staff who provide support, which may include ordering, supplying and administering medicines

Intermediate care €“ comprises a range of services offered free of charge for up to six weeks by a multidisciplinary team to promote faster recovery, prevent unnecessary acute hospitalisation, facilitate timely discharge from secondary care and maximise independent living. This can be provided at home or in another care setting

Care homes with nursing €“ these people will often require 24-hour care and are usually frail, with or without mental health problems. There is evidence to show that older people in care homes take more medicines than those in the community

Hospital care €“ necessary for disease management, acute medical events, injuries and accidents. Non-clinical or social factors may also affect admission. Prescribers may add or discontinue medicines, or change doses or brands. Older people may be unable to continue to manage their medicines, which can increase the risk of adverse reactions. Medicine compatibility and good communication between primary and secondary care is critical to minimise risks

Palliative care €“ this is provided at home, in care homes or in hospices for patients who are dying €“ for example from cancer, COPD or dementia.