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Executive Function, Working Memory, and Medication Adherence Among Older Adults

¹ College of Nursing, University of Arizona, Tucson.
² Institute of Aviation, Aviation Human Factors Division, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
³ John C. Lincoln North Mountain Hospital, Phoenix, Arizona.
⁴ Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson.

Address correspondence to Kathleen Insel, University of Arizona, College of Nursing, P.O. 210203, Tucson, AZ, 85721. E-mail: insel{at}nursing.arizona.edu

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between cognitive processes and medication adherence among community-dwelling older adults. Ninety-five participants (M = 78 years) completed a battery of cognitive assessments including measures of executive function, working memory, cued recall, and recognition memory. Medication adherence was examined over 8 weeks for one prescribed medicine by use of an electronic medication-monitoring cap. In a simultaneous regression, the composite of executive function and working memory tasks was the only significant predictor (ß =.44, p <.01). Findings suggest that assessments of executive function and working memory can be used to identify community-dwelling older adults who may be at risk for failure to take medicines as prescribed.