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Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Assessment of Dependence in Activities of Daily Living Among Older Patients in an Acute Care Unit
Published on: September 30, 2020
Factors associated with benzodiazepine dependence among community-dwelling seniors
Philippe Voyer1, Michel Preville, Marie-Eve Roussel
1Pavillon Ferdinand-Vandry, Local 3445, 1050, Avenue de la Medecine, Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec G1V 0A6, Canada. Philippe.Voyer@fsi.ulaval.ca
Background:
Benzodiazepine (BZD) dependence among seniors is an understudied problem.
Objective:
Identify the factors associated with BZD dependence.
Method:
Face-to-face computer-assisted interviews were conducted in the homes of 2,785 persons aged 65 years or older, randomly selected.
Results:
Nine-and-a-half percent of BZD users met DSM-IV-TR criteria for BZD dependence. Factors associated with BZD dependence are being a woman, and having cognitive impairment, panic disorders, suicidal ideations, and a degree of embarrassment in obtaining help for emotional problem.
Discussion:
Nurses should be better positioned to identify those elderly users of BZDs who are more likely to be dependent and to address the problem through BZD withdrawal program.
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