Is Your Loved One Handling Medications the Right Way?

Did you know that senior citizens are prescribed an average of 7 (yes, 7) medications to take every day? That’s a lot of information because you know that timing can be as important as dosage. Add to that the instructions that can go with each drug – take on an empty stomach, take with a meal, drink lots of water, avoid grapefruit, etc., etc., etc.

As a middle-aged adult that would be a lot to manage, so for someone in their 70s or 80s, it can be a real challenge. So, they often just avoid it. That avoidance plays out in a variety of ways:

• Stop taking medications
• Take medications once a day, disregarding the timing instructions
• Take medications with or without foods, disregarding the instructions

When you add to the mix the cost of medication, you could find that impacts whether or not seniors are handling prescriptions appropriately. We regularly have reports of:

• Seniors not buying medications at all
• Seniors stretching medications out by taking half dosages

As if those issues aren’t enough, patients may avoid medications for other reasons:

• They don’t like the side effects such as loss of appetite, dry mouth or fuzzy thinking
• They don’t think the medication helps or even makes a difference in their condition
• They take higher dosages thinking it will “heal them faster”
• They don’t like taking medications and think they don’t need it
• They simply forget about it.

Prescription drugs are powerful chemicals and misusing them, including incorrect dosages, can be dangerous. This is especially true for senior citizens as the aging body is often more fragile and vulnerable.

Caregivers for their aging loved ones worry about the results of misuse of prescription drugs. It’s a challenge to ensure medications are being taken appropriately, at the right times and in the correct dosages.

That is the primary reason why Keeping In Touch Solutions expanded the daily call service to include medication reminders. We are told from caregivers that a simple reminder has been a great help for their loved ones and because of that they have greater peace of mind.

Get a Medication Checklist for reference

Just keeping track of medications is tough, so to help you with that, download a medication checklist form. This checklist can be a lifesaver in an emergency situation, so download a couple and make sure Mom or Dad has it available to take to the doctor and you have one for reference, too.

Medications aren’t anything to take casually. Make it part of a daily check-in call and get relief from some of the worry!

A daily check-in call could be the lifeline, the joy you give someone that makes the biggest difference in their perception of what old age is like.

Contact me at 317-480-1038 today. Let’s make a difference together.

I’m Diana Beam, Founder of Keeping in Touch Solutions. It is my heartfelt desire for every person to live a happy and healthy life in the place they call home, no matter what their age. You can’t put a price on peace of mind for your parents and yourself. It’s priceless . . . and significant.

For that reason, the goal of every Keeping In Touch Solutions program is to provide a caring connection and service that both the elderly and their caregivers can rely on to make living that good life easier.