Many of us with elderly parents appreciate the need to monitor these medications to make sure they’re being taken regularly and properly. If you are the primary caregiver providing in home care for one or both of your parents then you know how hard it can be to keep track of the different medications. In addition you are usually the one that has to deal with the pharmacy to obtain the medications on a timely basis.
Imagine how difficult it must be for aging seniors who need to take ten or more pills a day to keep track of their medications. Pill organizers are often very helpful and allow you to load your pills for each day of the week. They also can be put in slots telling you whether to take them in the morning or at night. Some people mark the tops of the caps of the medication bottles indicating whether they should be taken in the morning or at night. Usually AM is written for the morning pills and PM for the evening pills. For people who are vision impaired they sometimes color the whole cap in with a black magic marker indicating that it is a night time medicine bottle. There are many inventive ways that people use to keep track of their medications and it can be argued that one is as good as another as long as the meds are taken as prescribed.
Unfortunately, too many people fail to take their meds as prescribed. This often leads to unnecessary complications and visits to the doctor or the hospital. Many insurance companies have tried to implement programs to help patients, particularly seniors, take their medications. We’re also seeing a number of apps like this one that are available to provide scheduled reminders. Unfortunately, few seniors are comfortable using smartphones and apps. This home health care issue is very serious.
In addition to simply forgetting to take their medications, seniors also do not take them because they don’t like to swallow pills or have trouble swallowing pills for a variety of reasons. One reason is that they have dentures that tend to float when they drink water when taking their pills. Some people crush their pills into applesauce or pudding to make them easier to swallow. This method makes for a tasty snack.
Nursing registries can refer caregivers to provide a variety of home health care services including medication reminders. If you are employing a home caregiver from a nursing service keep in mind that home health aides and certified nursing assistants can remind their patients when to take their prescribed medications. They may also assist them with reading the labels and opening the pill bottles. However, they may not administer the medications. Only a licensed nurse may make medication pours while carrying out the physicians medical plan of treatment.
Helping seniors with their medications is just one of the many services professional caregivers provide that can make a huge difference in a loved one’s quality of life. This senior home health care issue often goes overlooked because it is difficult to know whether someone is taking their medications as prescribed unless a family caregiver or a professional caregiver is involved.