On average, a senior takes over a dozen different prescriptions daily, so it is not surprising that many seniors frequently miss or double-take medication. Unfortunately, there are serious risks that come along with mismanaging medication.
Pill organizers are designed to help seniors manage their medication and stay on track. It seems like a simple way to organize medications, making remembering what to take each day easier. However, research suggests that pill organizers may actually be dangerous for seniors.
How Can Pill Organizers Be Dangerous to Seniors?
A recent study has revealed some hidden dangers of pill organizers and suggests that using pill organizers can lead to adverse outcomes compared to seniors who don’t use them.
The study showed that seniors who took their medication directly from the original packaging and then switched to a pill organizer experienced a variety of medical issues, including falls, weakness, and hypoglycemia.
This outcome seems counterintuitive. How could seniors presumably taking their medications more regularly be experiencing these problems? What was the cause of these unexplained medical issues?
Researchers found that seniors who were not using pill organizers were unintentionally not taking their medications as prescribed. When they started using a pill organizer, they started taking the full dose of their medications and began experiencing the side effects.
So while organizers work, the study revealed that there are indeed hidden dangers of pill organizers for seniors. The study showed that transitioning to using an organizer should be done carefully and under supervision. It also revealed just what a serious problem medication mismanagement is for seniors.
How to Avoid Complications with Organizing Pills
Mismanaging medication can have real side effects in multiple scenarios. When seniors don’t take their medicine as prescribed, the symptoms they are experiencing will not improve.
On the other hand, taking too much medication can lead to harmful symptoms and even overdose. Here are some easy ways to avoid complications with organizing pills.
Verify Medications with Your Doctor
The number one thing seniors can do to ensure they are safely taking their medications is work with their doctor to ensure their prescriptions are correct. Ask your doctor right away if there is ever a question about what you should be taking and how much you should be taking.
Your doctor can even help you find a pill organizer that works well for other patients.
Try to Build a Routine
Hoping you remember to take your medication at some point throughout the day is not an effective way to manage medication. You are far more likely to succeed if you make your medication a daily routine.
Many seniors take their medication right when they wake up or with the first meal of the day as prescribed. Tying your medication to a daily habit is easy to make sure you remember.
Double-Check
Many of us double-check that our doors are locked or that we remember to close a window. Seniors should be double-checking that they’ve taken their correct medications.
An easy way to do that is to keep a calendar that you check off when taking your pills for the day. This adds a secondary reminder for yourself that you’ve taken your pills for the day. Some seniors also like setting alarms on their devices or using other reminders besides pill organizers.
Have an Accountability Mechanism in Place
Managing medication does not have to be done alone. Having another person help manage a schedule can be a nearly fool-proof way to ensure all medications are being taken as prescribed. Leaning on friends, family, or caregivers for accountability is a very effective medication management technique.
Check-in with a loved one or caregiver once a day or even once a week to ensure that you’ve taken your medications regularly. A simple text or phone call can be all it takes to jog your memory.
Stay Safe with Caring Places Management
Caring Places Management takes pride in the comfort and safety of our community members. That is why we invest so heavily in developing a dedicated staff equipped to assist with issues like medication management.
Our staff works with each community member to ensure they have the tools they need to properly take their medication daily. They also serve as a safety net if a resident forgets or gets sidetracked. Our staff is also trained to watch for signs if a senior has taken too much of their medication.
When you choose Caring Places Management, you can rest assured that you or your loved one will receive the best care and will be able to take medications correctly as prescribed.
