Medication Management for Seniors

For many seniors, managing prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines is a daily routine. WebMD estimates that every senior over age 65 takes an average of5 or 6 medicines every day. There is no doubt that proper medication management for seniors is vital to ensure healthy living.

At Brookfield Senior Living in Arkansas, we have some tips on what you need to know about managing senior medications, what to watch out for, and how to best protect your beloved seniors.

Medicine Management

A lot more than knowing when to take a pill goes into a strong medicine management strategy. Here are our top tips to follow for safe senior medicine management.

Maintain Medication List

Medical conditions can and do change often, indicating a new medicine or updated dose adjustments. Keeping a complete, up-to-date log of all medicines that are prescribed or over-the-counter medicines that are taken is crucial. Keeping a date log next to all medication is a great way to track the most recent information.

Medical Provider List

Sometimes multiple medical providers are necessary, especially for seniors. So, keeping a running record of all providers visited and what medicines or treatments were prescribed is another critical component in managing senior medications. This can help make quick connections when needed. Taking the medical provider list to all medical appointments is a simple way to help doctors review what has already been discussed and treated, too.

Log Dates and Times

As laborious as it may seem, a day and time record should be kept for all medicines and treatments given. It is a way to double-check that the dosage and duration of treatments are being followed and ensure medicine recommendations are being followed. Since some medicines can be taken with or without food, for example, having a log recording of when a medication should be taken can help avoid mix-ups. This kind of diligence can avoid big consequences. These types of logs work well when completed daily to reinforce the habit and as a cross-check to make sure the medicines were actually taken as directed.

Use One Pharmacy

When one pharmacy looks at every prescription given to a senior, managing senior medications is a little bit less complicated. Since pharmacies are trained in spotting problems with prescriptions like over-prescribing or drug interactions, seniors who use one medicine fulfillment location will know this complete data at the fingertips of the pharmacists and will therefore be less likely to encounter unforeseen problems.

Store Medicines Safely

Help seniors keep their medicines in a safe, controlled location, away from pets or children. Store them in a cool and dry place unless otherwise noted in the specific directions for that substance. If all medicines cannot be kept together, make a note of each one is located. This can help in case of an emergency or if another caregiver or family member needs to assist in helping out with dispensing prescriptions or other medications.

Checking expiration dates regularly is essential, too, since some medicines lose effectiveness quickly or before expected. A good tip to keeping up to date on expiration dates is to write the expiry date on the lid in large lettering, making it easy to see and know when to toss or refill that specific container.

Use Medication Organizers

The ubiquitous pillbox has had a makeover, and they are handier than ever, with little slots for every day of the week as well as multiple times per day. Filling one week’s worth at a time—or even two—makes managing senior medications easier. Not only can the senior or caregiver see what medicines are coming up, but they can tell at a glance if all medicines have been accurately dispensed. When complicated medical conditions call for many prescriptions, buying one of these inexpensive tools is an easy way to assist in the sometimes cumbersome process of following medical advice.

Choose a “Patient Navigator”

Having one medical professional who knows all that is going on with a senior’s health can be a crucial step when managing senior health. Ask a primary physician to be the point of contact for all medical advice by bringing all medication, prescribing provider information, and the pharmacy side effects list to meetings to go over regularly.

While all doctors need to know what other medicines and treatments are being prescribed, having this patient navigator will help smooth over any missed or under-explained circumstances or medicine interactions. Having one doctor or practice who knows all that is going on can help expedite solutions if an unforeseen problem arises. Care centers like Brookfield Senior Living in Arkansas do this with every client.

What to Watch Out For

Keeping track of medicines, side effects, interactions, and all doctor recommendations is a big job. But managing senior medications also extends to the rest of their lives too. Here are a few things to watch out for to help you better manage your senior’s needs.

Alcohol Intake

As we age, things likealcohol can have a more substantial effect on our bodies than when we were younger. Alcohol can also cause drug interactions, creating a dangerous situation for some seniors. Since bodies take different times to clear out the alcohol and the medications, mixing the two can be a recipe for disaster for some. Encouraging seniors to moderate their alcohol intake and consult with their medical professionals about any potential interactions with current prescriptions and alcohol is advised.

Decreased Organ Function

Major organs naturally change or slow down as we age. This means that our ability to manage medications may change over time. Some people may even notice a marked decrease in how their body absorbs, breaks down, or eliminates some medicines. Address any concerns with a medical professional.

Age-Related Body Changes

Aging affects all parts of the human body. Losing muscle tissue and an increase in fat tissues are common occurrences in seniors. Keeping abreast of these changes is essential for managing senior medicines since they also affect how well the body metabolizes medicines and supplements. Any rapid or unusual changes in the body should be discussed with a medical professional along with all medicines and supplements currently in use.

Changes in Hearing, Memory, or Sight

As bodily functions change over time, the way we care for seniors must change as well. The inability to see prescription labels clearly can be a concern, so using larger container labels, for example, is an easy way to help out a senior with diminishing sight.

Memory changes can bring about more challenges if the senior is expected to manage all medicines or supplements since remembering to follow a schedule could become a challenge for some as they are not even aware that memory issues are becoming a concern. If they're unaware of these issues, they may not ask for help or may appear as if they are following all doctor recommendations.

Nonadherence to prescriptions and medical advice can become a bigger concern when part-time caregivers or family members don’t realize that a senior’s memory is imperfect or becoming tricky.

Protecting the Senior You Love

When later in life changes begin to make independent living more difficult, we all want to help the seniors we love have a happy, healthy life. Stepping in with small or large interventions is an important part of protecting those we love to help them live the best life possible.

Be an Advocate

As handling health care and managing senior medications become a demanding part of life, advocating and supporting seniors is the first step their families and friends need to take. Stepping in to listen at doctor’s appointments, reading over medication logs, and lending an ear when medication or treatments are discussed are good first steps to help ensure that the seniors you love are cared for and living a safe, healthy life.

Connecting Seniors with Care

 For many seniors, there is no family or friend that can help them in need on a day-to-day basis. Sometimes partial or full-time care is the sensible next step to assist a senior with health care and management of a complicated medical situation. Many seniors can continue to live independently in an assisted living home that can help with the daily need of managing senior medications likeThe Brookfield Assisted Living and Memory Care. Matching up what a senior needs, or will need, is key to providing the loving care that every senior deserves to spend their later years happy and healthy.

Give the professionals at Brookfield a call or visit one of our three locations in Bella Vista, Ft. Smith, or Hot Springs, Arkansas, to discuss how we can support your senior and help with the ongoing or future needs of your loved one.