Making Senior Medication Management Easier

Seniors who still live at home may need some help with managing their prescriptions. Here are some tips on how you can ensure that a senior loved one is able to take the medication they need:

Stick with a Good Doctor

Find a doctor who is on top of medication management. They contact your senior loved one about refilling a prescription proactively. They have a good handle on all of the medications your loved one is taking, the potential side effects of each, and the potential interactions. They meet up with your loved one on a regular basis to monitor health and new symptoms. 

Find a Company for Medical Delivery

Going out and filling prescriptions may not be a feasible task. Look for a company for medical delivery. They can keep copies of prescriptions and stay in contact with your doctor about dosage and refills. The company will fill the prescriptions and deliver them to the home of a senior. These companies are careful to package and ship medications in a way that preserves their quality; when ice or sterile conditions are called for, the pharmacies are regulated to ensure that safety and quality standards are met. These companies help make sure there's never a time when a senior goes without important pills due to lack of mobility or transportation. 

Consider Software and Technology

When it comes to actually remembering medicine, there are some devices and software that help. If your loved one is at all tech savvy, they could keep track of their medications through reminder software. If you set it up for them, it can remind the loved one on their phone (or through a physical device) to take the medicine. When they complete the task, they might click "done" or press a button on a physical device. You, on the other end, can see how often your loved one actually took their medicine and check up on them if they haven't been remembering the medicine. Of course, this doesn't always work if the person is willfully fibbing and not taking the medicine.  

Consider In-Home Nursing Care

If you don't think your loved one will remember to take their medication without it being provided by another person, you'll probably have to look into options for more progressive medical care. Aside from a full move to assisted living, you could hire a skilled nurse to make home visits and give prescription doses to your loved one. That will ensure that they take their medication each day.