Most seniors need to take some kind of medication, it’s just a sign of the age. However, if they need to take more than one kind and at different times, things can get confusing. If you add to that different prerequisites for each of them like ‘take after meal’, or ‘take before eating’, things can get even more confusing.
You need to help them organize these medications so that they can take them as they were intended and ensure that their conditions are kept in check. If you need help with that, consider consulting an agency like https://abetterwayinhomecare.com/senior-home-care-beverly-hills.html.
Make a List
Chances are that you already know what medication your senior is taking, but just to be sure, go through the list with them. Once you’ve complied the list, check the amount of each medication and if they are taking it regularly. You can divide them into the daily drugs like diabetes or blood pressure medication, and the occasional help like sleeping pills or painkillers.
Don’t forget to include the over the counter medication and supplements because those are important too and they can have an impact on your loved one’s life.
Consult Their Pharmacist
Once you have a complete list of drugs your senior uses, you can take this list to their pharmacist for double checking. Pharmacists will be able to tell you if any of those drugs are redundant or potentially interacting with each other causing some side effects.
Don’t forget that seniors take longer to metabolize drugs, so they stay in their system longer, meaning that potential interactions between two drugs are possible even after a longer period of time. Don’t forget to tell your pharmacist about supplements, because they can also cause side effects and other complications.
Sort Everything Out
If your senior is seeing multiple doctors, they likely have multiple prescriptions and multiple pills all with their own instructions and timetables. It’s so easy to get confused and frustrated and skip a dose or two.
You can help them by sorting their medication by the time of day they need to take it or any other way it would be easier for them. Having many different medications may not always be necessary, so consult their doctors and see if the number of different pills can be reduced.
Pillboxes
These handy dispensers enable you to simplify your senior’s medication intake. They come as simple as just a box with seven compartments for each day of the week, to elaborate color coded ones with an alarm built in telling them what to take.
Different Intake Methods
Swallowing pills is usually not a pleasant activity, particularly if you have to gulp down 10 or more of those at once. Consult their doctor about distributing these medications throughout the day to make it more amenable to them.
Furthermore, you can ask the doctor if a pill can be substituted for a different intake method. A lot of the medication available today can also be taken in liquid form or a powder. Mixing the powder in food or water can make it much easier and more pleasant experience for your senior.
Always Consult an Expert
Before you make any sort of change in your senior’s daily regimen, make sure that you get an opinion of an expert. Pharmacists or doctors will be happy to help you with advice, so make sure that you do not endanger your senior by making changes on your own. Caregivers are also skilled and experienced professionals who can help you with the daily routines of seniors.
You should also keep in mind that these changes may not prove as effective as you have expected, so be ready to compromise and revise your plans as you go.
