Four Tips for Senior’s Medication Management

For those looking to better their medication preparation, the following will divulge a few strategies for seniors and caregivers alike to better manage their medications.

Consolidate senior medication.

For anyone using multiple medications, it’s best to consolidate them all in one place. They should not be scattered around the home in separate areas. When you can see the medications all in one place, you can better track them, their side effects, and their quantity.

Find a place that will be known as “the medication hub.” This is where all new medications will live, and where they should be returned to if they are out of place. By establishing this system early on, you can ensure success in your medication management.

Maintain an accurate list of medication.

Once all medications are consolidated and accounted for, your next step is to take a tally of the medications. This can be a written tally, but it would be best to have it listed on a document on the computer, as this list is going to be somewhat detailed. 

It would be best to include all necessary information in this document. This includes the name of the medication, the amount prescribed, the dosage, the desired effect of the drug, and the potential side effects. If the medicine has been prescribed by a different doctor, make sure to note that in the list, including the doctor’s name and contact information.

The list, once established, will need to be maintained with regularity. Track which dosages have been altered, which new medications have been administered, etc.

Continually check for bad drug interactions.

It’s every caregiver’s worst nightmare for their patient to suffer from mixing the wrong medicines. No one wants their loved one to suffer from mismanaged medication. Thus, it’s imperative to consult the healthcare team to ensure that no mixed drugs are going to be harmful to your loved one. This can easily be checked with a doctor or registered nurse. 

Enlist the help of a home health aide.

If consistent medication management is becoming too difficult for you and your aging loved one, it may be time to enlist in some help. A home health care aid, can be there to help keep tally over your loved one’s medicines and ensure that they are getting the correct dosage. Not only that, but home health aides are trained to assist your loved one with other daily living activities.