Senior Care at Home - Medication Management
The average, relatively healthy senior takes 4-5 prescription medications and 2 over-the-counter medications per day.
Those seniors with more complex conditions may take 12-15 medications daily.
A Pill Box Reminder
One of the most simple yet effective tools to manage medications. If a senior is forgetting whether or not they took their am/pm medications, this is a reassurance that they did. Pill boxes come in many shapes and sizes and some models even lock for security. Caregivers are not able to give medicine from prescription bottles however they are generally able to give medications from a pill box.
Creating a Dosing Schedule Chart
Many times planning out when medications are to be taken can have a dramatic result on how the person feels. For instance, some medications are to be taken in the morning or at night and some need to be taken with food. Knowing when and how much to take is very important. A simple chart can be completed on most computers using an excel or word document.
Make a List of All Medications
It important to have an accurate list of your medications available to those who are caring for you. This may mean putting the list near the phone or on the refrigerator. In case there is an emergency and you are not able to communicate your medication needs, first responders need to know what medications you are taking. Serious complication can occur so it is always safe to be prepared.
Professional Medication Management
When the time comes and a person can not manage their own medication, having a professional company provide care in the home may be necessary. In this case, the company takes complete responsibility for oversight of an individuals medication management. This process usually involves having an RN create a plan of care and coordinate a licensed pharmacist to review a patients medications. An RN will then set up medications on a weekly basis. A trained aide can provide medication reminders. When dealing with dementia related diseases, supervision of medication management is necessary.
It is important to control and manage medications properly. When seniors are not taking their medications enough or too often they may experience light headedness or dizzyness and fall.
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Andrew
July 31, 2012
I really appreciated this article. Great insight! Thanks for taking the time to write it.