GeriatRx

Leadership in older adult care is not about having the loudest voice in the room.

It is about being willing to challenge what is no longer serving the patient.

For too long, medication safety in older adults has been treated like a side conversation instead of a core standard of care.

Too many people are still being managed in fragments.
One condition at a time.
One prescription at a time.
One specialist at a time.

But older adults do not experience care in fragments.

They experience the full weight of every medication.
Every side effect.
Every interaction.
Every decision that gets added without enough pause to ask whether it is still helping more than it is harming.

That is where leadership has to show up.

In the willingness to slow down.
To ask harder questions.
To rethink what has become routine.
To protect patients from harm even when the system makes it easier to keep moving.

Real leadership in this space means pushing for a higher standard.

A standard where medication safety is not optional.
Where deprescribing is not an afterthought.
Where older adults are treated with the kind of clinical intention, dignity, and respect they deserve.

That is a big part of why I keep teaching this work.

Because change does not happen just by noticing the problem.
It happens when more clinicians are equipped to lead differently.

If you want to learn with us, join the upcoming masterclass:
https://geriatrxcoaching.com/

I’m standing in a room full of people who refuse to let patients fall through the cracks.

That’s what hits you immediately at the Aging Life Care Association conference.

Not titles.
Not credentials.
Responsibility.

These are the professionals who step in when the system gets fragmented.
When no one is coordinating.
When families are overwhelmed.
When the plan on paper isn’t working in real life.

They go into homes.
They navigate the chaos.
They advocate when no one else is listening.

And here’s what stood out most this week:

Nearly every complex case they’re managing
has one thing in common.

Medications are part of the problem.

Not because anyone intended harm
but because no one was stepping back to see the full picture.

That’s where everything is starting to shift.

We’ve been working alongside care management teams to embed a pharmacist directly into their model not as an add on, but as part of how care is delivered.

And the response has been immediate.

Better clarity.
Better outcomes.
Fewer gaps.

Because prescribing is one decision.

But what happens after
is where patients either stabilize
or slowly decline.

One care manager said it best:

“Once we solve the medication issues… the client gets better.”

That’s not a small insight.
That’s a system level blind spot.

This room sees it.
And they’re doing something about it.

That’s why this work matters.
And that’s why this model is growing.

Memory loss isn’t always dementia.

Sometimes… it’s the medication list.

A patient starts forgetting things.
Repeating questions.
Feeling mentally slower than usual.

And the assumption becomes:

“Cognitive decline.”

But here’s what often gets overlooked:
• Medications with anticholinergic effects
• Sedatives that slow brain function
• Combinations that increase overall cognitive burden
Individually, each one may seem appropriate.

Together… they can change how someone thinks, remembers, and processes the world around them.

And it happens gradually.

So it gets labeled as progression.

Instead of being questioned.

This is what happens when no one steps back to look at the full picture.

When care becomes focused on managing symptoms…
instead of asking what’s causing them.

Because not every decline is disease-driven.

Sometimes, it’s medication-driven.

And knowing the difference changes everything.

Most clinicians were never trained to assess cognitive risk this way.

That’s exactly what I’ll be walking through in this upcoming webinar:

Most Clinicians Were Never Trained to Deprescribe — Here’s How to Fix That Safely and Confidently.

If you’ve ever had a patient where the cognitive decline didn’t fully add up…
You should join

At 7 p.m. the night before I was scheduled to speak at the Brain Health Summit, my car died on the highway.

Not the day before.
Not after the event.
The night before I needed to be there by 9 a.m.

What was supposed to be a straightforward drive from Atlanta back to North Carolina turned into me sitting on the side of the road, waiting for a tow truck, praying someone could figure out what was wrong with my car in the dark.

We had agreed to do this summit months ago.

I was one of the guest speakers.
I had made a commitment.
And in that moment, everything felt like it was trying to stand in the way of keeping it.

By the grace of God, I got a tow.
Then somehow, later that night, I found a mechanic willing to help.

At 9 p.m.

Who finds a mechanic that late?

The car got fixed, and I made it to my sister’s house to rest for a few hours before getting back on the road. At that point, I already knew sleep was going to be minimal and the morning was going to come fast.

Then my sister saw how exhausted I was and said,
“Brother, I’m driving with you. We’re going to do this together.”

That meant more than I can explain.

And somehow, we made it.

I got to the summit.
I connected with some incredible people.
I had the opportunity to keep pushing this mission forward.
And I hope something I shared inspired someone else to keep going too.

Because that’s really the point.

When you know the work matters, you find a way.

That’s how I feel about deprescribing.
That’s how I feel about educating clinicians.
That’s how I feel about helping our communities rethink what better care for older adults can look like.

This work is too important to approach halfway.

Just like I was going to do everything I could to make it to that summit, I’m going to do everything I can to push the need for deprescribing forward in our communities.

That includes teaching clinicians how to become deprescribing advocates.
How to build their business around meaningful work.
And how to make a real difference for the people who need it most.

That’s exactly why we’re hosting this masterclass on April 30.

If this mission speaks to you, join us.

The Dementia Capable CARES Brain Health Summit 2026 is almost here - happening Friday, April 17th… and it’s going to be our BEST yet!

✨Today's Spotlight:
Dr. DeLon Canterbury
Board Certified Geriatric Pharmacist & CEO of GeriatRx

🧠 Don’t miss his expert insights on medications & brain health!

🎟️ Tickets are going FAST and registration closes Saturday, 4/11 - secure your spot today:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4CAFA729A1FEC25-61550742-brain

📩 Questions? Contact: [email protected]

A special thank you to our wonderful hosts at Searstone 💜