Medication management is a crucial precautionary measure for avoiding possibly serious health issues in older adults. Sometimes, seniors take many vitamins, medicines, and supplements for treating various health conditions, which can increase the risks of more health hazards. To avoid such cases, medication management for seniors is highly important.
Following a simple system and maintaining the fundamentals help older adults avoid general medication mistakes like taking more doses than prescribed, missing dosages, or wrong medicine. Let’s have a look at some crucial tips to help your seniors handle their medications safely!
1. Ensure to Store the Medication Properly
Generally, medicines must be stored in a dry and cool place. Both heat and moisture can impact medicines. Also, keep them away from pets or kids.
2. Ensure Medication Guidelines Are Clear
Nobody should take medicine without doctors’ instructions. It helps reduce the risk of medicines’ side effects, intake of wrong drugs, etc. Ensure to make your older adult understand which medicines are safe and which one he/she must avoid.
3. Understand the Potential Side Effects of Medicines
Your older adult should know the possible side effects of medicines he/she will consume. This helps begin a new dose, increase the dose, or mix drugs differently.
4. Ensure There Is No Negative Drug Interaction
Many seniors take several drugs, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, or supplements. For this reason, it’s crucial to double-check to ensure nothing will lead to wrong drug interactions.
5. Set up a Medication Reminder System
Seniors find it difficult to take every dose timely. This is why a medication reminder system can help them know which drugs they should take at what time.
6. Streamline Medications Beforehand
Seniors should stay organized for good medication management. Using a medicine organizer helps them pre-sort their medicines for the entire week.
7. Prepare and Maintain an Updated Medicine List
For avoiding wrong medicine intake, you should know precisely what medicines your senior is consuming. Hence, you must have an updated list of their vitamins, over-the-counter medicines, regular medicines, and supplements.
8. Keep All Medications in One Place
Storing medications in various places makes it tough to track them at the time of taking. Hence, it’s better to keep everything in one place.
9. Plan for Medication Refills Beforehand
With prescribed medicines for the long term, you should get refills timely so your senior won’t miss and run out of doses. Ensure to mark the refill date on the calendar to remember when to order a refill.
10. Check for Medication Compliance
Medicines work only if taken continuously and as prescribed by the doctor. In terms of patients with a cognitive disorder like Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, you should monitor medications more cautiously.
By following the aforesaid tips, medication management for seniors will be easier for you. You may receive better outcomes from their treatment. Also, you may abstain from the potential risks of some drugs. The healthcare team of La Noce Psychiatry is there to help you! Connect with us to let us become your healthcare advocate.