Medication Management for Seniors
As we get older, we will likely have more medical conditions. This can result in multiple medications needing to be taken at different times. Forgetting to take medications, or taking too much, can result in health complications, or even death. For people over the age of 65, up to 30% of hospital admissions are medication related. Therefore, it is important to take the right amount of medication at the right time. However, adhering to medication regimes can be difficult at the best of times, this becomes even harder as the regimes become more complex, or if a person’s memory does not work as well as it used to. At Home Care Assistance, we often help the people we care for manage their medications, so they take the right medications at the right time. We have put together this blog with some tips on ways to help with medication management.
Firstly, it is important that all required medications are available in the house. This means keeping on top of having scripts and getting them filled. If you or your loved one are on medications, and heading to the doctor for your check-up, have a look and see which scripts you are running low on. That way you can get them while you are there. It is also a good idea to make sure scripts are filled in advanced to avoid any gaps in taking them. It can be a good idea to contact your local chemist to see how they can help with this.
It is also important to get rid of old medications. This reduces the risk of taking something when you shouldn’t, or taking something that is out of date. Keeping medications all in the same place helps with this as it is easy to see what is there. It also makes it easy to find the medications and keep track of them. Make sure that the place they are kept is somewhere safe, especially if there are children or pets in the house.
It is also a good idea to have a list of all medications and when they should be taken – and keep the list updated. This not only helps the person taking the medication, but also anyone who may be supporting them in their care. This list is also very useful for taking to the hospital if you or your loved one are unwell, or if you need to see a different doctor than your usual one for any reason.
Setting an alarm to remind taking medication can also help with adherence. This could be as simple as an alarm, or multiple alarms, on a watch. Or the use of an app on a phone to act as a reminder of what medications to take and when.
Using a pillbox can be handy in organising the pills to be taken every day. This way, once a week, the pills are put into the pillbox and then the pills are taken on the corresponding day. Some pillboxes have a spot for morning and evening medications separately which is good for those who take medication more than once a day. Ensure the pillbox is one the user can open if they are self-administering their medication and has clear labelling. Also, make sure the pillbox is kept in a safe place, especially if there are other people, children, or pets in the house. There is also the option of arranging for Webster packs through the chemist. With Webster packs, the chemist organises the medications into a blister pack with the medications for that day. This not only helps with organising medications, it makes it easier to take the right medications, and can also useful if some of the medication containers are hard to open.
Medication management is important in avoiding taking too much or too little medication. The above tips can help your loved one live independently while adhering to their medication regime. However, sometimes this is not enough support. If you have tried the above and your loved one still cannot manage their medications, it might be time to consider extra support from them. A Care Professional offering home care support can help ensure medication is taken when it is meant to be taken. Support of a home care agency like Home Care Assistance, can bring enormous benefit and comfort to your quality of life while living independently at home. Home Care Assistance has viable solutions when it comes to supporting independent living. For more information, get in touch with a Home Care Assistance near me today.
