Your elderly loved one may depend on medications to manage his or her health. However, you should also be aware that forgetting to take a dose or taking too much medication can have serious consequences for seniors. Use the following strategies to help your loved one stay on top of his or her health regimen and prevent medication mishaps.
Find Out What Medications Your Loved One Takes
Aging adults often take multiple medications, and you may need to learn about the medicines your loved one currently takes. Ask your loved one to provide you with a list of all his or her medications, including supplements. If your loved one is unable to do so, you may be able to check his or her medication storage area.
Hiring a professional caregiver is one of the best ways to ensure your senior loved one takes medications as prescribed. In Roseville, home care providers can benefit aging adults in a variety of ways. From cooking nutritious meals to offering timely medication reminders, the dedicated caregivers at Home Care Assistance are available to help your elderly loved one 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Create a Schedule
Once you have your loved one’s list of medications, observe when each medicine must be taken along with the amount. The information obtained can then be used to develop a schedule for your loved one’s morning, mid-day, and nighttime medications. Make sure to include notes regarding special instructions such as which medications need to be taken with meals.
Help Him or Her Get Organized
One of the biggest challenges seniors face is remembering to take their medications, and many older adults rely on pill organizers to keep track of their dosage. Help your loved one arrange his or her medications into weekly or monthly organizers that take the guesswork out of what to take. Then, you can set up an alarm system that alerts your loved one when it is time to take the next dose of medication.
Recruit Professional Assistance
Although certain types of technology can keep track of your loved one’s daily routine, there may be times when you can’t risk having an alarm that fails to go off. Professional caregivers provide assistance with medication management that adds an extra layer of protection for your loved one’s health. While your loved one can continue to take medication independently, a caregiver can double-check that he or she takes it according to the recommended dosing schedule.
If your aging loved one needs occasional help with bathing, grooming, cooking, or other basic household tasks, or if you need time to attend to important personal matters, reach out to Home Care Assistance, a leading provider of live-in and respite care. Roseville seniors can maintain their independence while living at home with the help of our reliable respite caregivers.
Know When to Review the Plan
Your loved one’s medication plan may change every time he or she experiences a new health diagnosis or has a prescription altered. Ask your loved one to let you know when something changes so the current routine can be changed. You may also need to keep an eye out for signs that your loved one needs additional help managing medications. For instance, a senior with memory loss may need more assistance with his or her dosing schedule or need to be monitored for potential side effects after taking a new medication.
There are a variety of age-related conditions that can make it difficult for seniors to manage their medications. If your elderly loved one is living with a serious medical condition and needs help managing the tasks of daily living, reach out to Home Care Assistance, a Roseville home care agency you can trust. Our caregivers are available 24/7, there are no hidden fees in our contracts, and we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all of our in-home care services. To create a customized in-home care plan for your aging loved one, give us a call at (916) 226-3737 today.