Dear Jenny, there are so many medications involved in my father’s daily pill intake. Are they all important and is it really that big of a problem if he forgets to take one?
It is inevitable that, when caring for seniors, there may be large amounts of pills and prescriptions to go through on a daily basis. Even though, it may be a huge task to sort through all of them, it is extremely important that the care giver or the senior, does that. The elderly person in your care has been prescribed the medication for a reason, although he or she may not want to take it, he or she has to!
As soon as the senior provides all of the information you need, you can start administering the pills in the correct manner. If they cannot, it is imperative to get the information. Whether it be from a doctor or a prescribing physician, this information needs to be gathered. The most important thing to do is establish a routine so that no medications are ignored or forgotten about.
The senior in your care will soon begin to get comfortable and accept your authority. He or she will be reassured by the fact that there are specific times for certain medications. It will also give you the satisfaction and peace of mind that this has been taken care of. So you can be sure that the proper pills are taken at the proper time.
By dispensing the medications it will enable you to keep track of the supply of each medication that you have. You will then know when it is time to refill the prescription.
Daily dose boxes are also a fantastic idea in this sort of situation. They come in little boxes that you can refill for every day of the week. So if a person knows the day of the week, they can look at the box and see if their daily dose has been taken or not!
Medication is an important part of any senior’s daily routine, but it is one that should be taken very seriously. Something as simple as taking one tablet at the wrong time or in the wrong dose can have severe effects. Managing medication is a very important job, and if it cannot be done by the senior, then it needs to be done by a helpful caregiver. Both storing the medication and administering it as needed, is what needs to be done.
If it is not possible to find an available caregiver, you can always find an Assisted Living community. That is the sort of assistance they can provide. There are medical technicians who work at these communities for the sole purpose of managing medications. After all, the senior deserves to live out their golden years and not have to worry about which pill to take when!
