Most seniors have health conditions that can only be managed with prescriptions, with some taking over-the-counter medications consistently. However, once you realize that, about half the time, Americans of all ages fail to follow the instructions given to them by their doctor or pharmacist, you begin to realize how vitally important medication management is to senior health.
What Can Happen When Medication Is Forgotten or Missed?
Medication doses that are forgotten or missed can cause serious problems. In many cases, though not always, one missed dose may not be a big deal. However, if your loved one has missed multiple doses, it can cause the treatment to fail or make the disease harder to treat. For example, viruses and bacteria may develop resistance to medications that are not taken on schedule as instructed.
If your loved one forgets to take their medications, it can complicate the condition. Drugs prescribed to treat cardiovascular disease are a good example. Failure to take these as instructed can increase the risk of a stroke or heart attack. If your loved one doesn’t take their medication on time, symptoms may come back, and new symptoms may appear.
While missed or forgotten medication doses can cause serious problems, it can also be dangerous to take the failed amount immediately upon remembering. Depending on factors such as the type of medication, how often your loved one takes it, and how much time has passed since the missed dose, trying to make up for it may result in an overdose. It is better to avoid the issue entirely with medication management. A doctor can advise you and your loved one about what to do in a specific instance of missed medication.
How Can You Help Your Loved One Manage Medications?
Here are some tips to make managing medications easier for you and your loved one. Some require you to take a more active role, while others can be mere suggestions on your part. It depends on your loved one’s mental status and capacity to take care of themselves.
1. Plan Refills in Advance
One way to help your loved one avoid missing doses of long-term prescriptions is to make sure they get refills on time. With a mail-order pharmacy, medication is delivered on time every month. Your loved ones should have their refills mailed out right on schedule.
2. Set Alarms as Medication Reminders
Your loved one may know when to take their medication but lose track of time. An alarm provides a reminder for your loved ones to stop whatever they’re doing and take their medicine right away. It may be sufficient to set a primary alarm clock as a reminder if your loved one only takes a couple of doses daily. Otherwise, it might be a good idea to use a cell phone’s reminder function to tell your loved one which medication to take and when.
3. Create a Medication List and Keep It up to Date
A list of all the medications your loved one is taking, including information such as name, dosage, and the frequency at which they take it, helps prevent adverse drug interactions. You should check this list frequently to see that it is always current. New medications should be added to the list and discontinued ones removed.
4. Pre-Sort Medications Each Week
Managing medications effectively means keeping them organized. One way to accomplish this is with a pill organizer with labeled compartments for each dose of medicine that your loved one needs to take throughout the week. You and your loved one can sort these out at the beginning of the week, allowing them to take doses with the corresponding label at the prescribed day and time.
5. Store Medications Together
It may make sense for your loved one to store medications in various places. For example, pills taken with food may be stored in the kitchen, while those taken at night may be kept on a nightstand. However, storing medications, vitamins, and supplements in different places makes it easier to lose track of them. All your loved one’s medications should be stored in one place. This makes it easier to keep inventory, check expiration dates, and identify redundant drugs for review with the doctor.
Whether you are solely responsible for your loved one’s medication management or are just helping out, there is a lot involved. It can be difficult, especially when you have to balance other obligations. One of the advantages of your loved one becoming a resident of Caring Places Management is that our professional staff ensures that residents take their medication on time as part of the care we provide.
