If your senior parent is living alone, they may need help keeping their medications straight, taking the correct doses, and taking them at the right time. According to studies, most seniors take at least five medications, and some seniors who have health conditions like arthritis or diabetes take even more. Senior care is a great service that can help your senior mom or dad take their medications correctly and on time.
With senior care, you won’t have to worry about whether or not your mom took her medication in the morning or if your dad remembered to take his pills at night before bed.
Having senior care services can prevent your mom or dad from making these common mistakes that seniors make when trying to manage their medications:
Forgetting to Take Medications
If your senior parent forgets to take a dose of their medications, it can have serious consequences. Missing doses can lead to ineffective treatment of chronic conditions or acute health issues. This may result in uncontrolled symptoms, worsening of the condition, or increased risk of complications. For instance, missing antihypertensive medication can lead to dangerously high blood pressure.
If your mom or dad is taking a medication like an SSRI that should never be stopped cold turkey, forgetting to take one or multiple doses could have a bad impact on their mental health.
A senior care provider can remind your mom or dad when to take their medications. They can also set alarms, use voice-activated reminders, and use other tools to make sure your mom or dad knows when to take their medications.
Incorrect Dosage
Taking too much or too little medication can cause serious health problems. Overdosing can lead to toxic side effects or overdose symptoms, while underdosing can result in insufficient treatment, worsening symptoms, and potential disease progression. For example, incorrect insulin dosing in diabetics can cause severe hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia.
A senior care provider can prevent this by using pill boxes, single-unit dispensers, and other tools to make sure that your mom or dad is always getting the correct dose of medication.
Mixing Medications
Combining medications without proper knowledge can cause harmful drug interactions. This can lead to serious side effects such as reduced effectiveness, or even life-threatening conditions. For instance, mixing blood thinners with certain over-the-counter pain relievers can increase bleeding risk.
When your mom or dad is getting consistent senior care, their care provider can check to make sure your mom or dad isn’t mixing medications.
Failing to Follow Prescribed Schedules
Not adhering to the prescribed timing and frequency of medications can disrupt treatment and affect the medication’s efficacy. For example, taking antibiotics irregularly can lead to incomplete treatment of infections and contribute to antibiotic resistance.
It’s very common for seniors to think that it’s ok for them to take their medications a little early if they want to go to bed or a little late if they don’t take them until mid-morning. But that’s not the case. Taking them outside of the prescribed times can interfere with their effectiveness.
Not Reviewing Medications Regularly
Failing to review and update medication lists with healthcare providers can lead to the use of outdated or unnecessary medications or interactions between new prescriptions and old ones. This might result in adverse drug reactions, unnecessary side effects, or interactions with new prescriptions.
Additionally, it may cause seniors to continue taking medications that are no longer needed or that have been replaced by more effective alternatives.
A senior care provider can keep an updated list of all the medications that your mom or dad is taking and a list of their dosages so that you can review it with your mom or dad’s doctor on a regular basis.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Senior Care in Elkins Park, PA, please contact the caring staff at Better Care Home Health Services today at (267) 766-5218
Better Care Home Health Services is a Trusted Home Care Agency serving Philadelphia, Germantown, Glenside, Elkins Park, Bryn Mawr, Roxborough, Wyncote, Broomall, Upper Darby, Yeadon, Lansdowne, Narberth, Wynnewood, Penn Wynne, Fairmount, Ardmore, Chestnut Hill, and the surrounding areas.
Better Care Home Health Services is a family-owned agency dedicated to providing excellent and comprehensive home health care to individuals and families of Philadelphia, Delaware, Montgomery and Bucks counties. We are honored that God has blessed us with the opportunity to positively impact and change people’s lives. It is our mission to ensure that we provide the very best of care to our clients.
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