Complementary and alternative therapy use by older adults in three ethnically diverse populations: a pilot study

Americans have overwhelmingly embraced complementary and alternative therapies. Although the primary purpose of this study was to refine a questionnaire on complementary and alternative therapy use by older adults, the findings of this pilot study identified knowledge and use of complementary and alternative therapies in a convenience sample of 60 older adults, 54 to 92 years of age from three ethnically diverse senior centers. Eighty percent of the participants used two or more therapies. There were no significant differences in therapy use by ethnicity. The most commonly used therapies were prayer, vitamins, diet, massage, and meditation. The participants rated the effectiveness of therapies higher than their knowledge of the therapies. Older adults need accurate information from health care providers to make safe decisions regarding the combination of complementary therapies and prescribed treatments to reduce the risk of interaction.