Managing Your Grandparents’ Medications (Part One)

Are your grandparents or senior parents more irritable than normal? Have you noticed any changes in their sleeping patterns? Or does it look like they have unintentionally lost (or even perhaps gained) weight since the last time you visited them?

These signs are just some of the consequences of recent life-changing events. However, for an agency offering nursing care in New Jersey, they could also be warning signs resulting from medication mismanagement.

Fortunately, there are solutions that can help your aging loved ones manage their medicines much better. As a reliable provider of senior care in New Jersey, allow us to share with you a few medication management tips that can help your parents and grandparents avoid or reduce potential drug risks. Continuing reading below to know more.

First, Serenity Senior Care advises that you take an inventory of all prescribed and over-the-counter medicines that the seniors in your lives are taking. Research these medications, including the effects they are supposed to achieve, and any side-effects they may have. Ask professional pharmacists or other experts if you wish to be further clarified.

Tips in Managing Your Grandparents’ Medication at Home

1. Always check the label of any medication before using it.
2. Dispose of medications properly when they are no longer needed.
3. Keep your grandparents’ medications in a safe and secure location that is easy for them to find, but that inexperienced users cannot access (only the grandparent should know the combination to lock it).
4. Never keep your grandparents’ medications in areas with heat or moisture (a humid bathroom or kitchen).
5. Have your grandparent keep a running list of all medications they take to ensure that none are missed.
6. Make sure your grandparents take all medication on time and as prescribed.
7. Keep track of your grandparents’ side effects and if they are getting worse, seek medical help immediately.
8. Ask your grandparents’ doctor about generic medications as these became more popular and save you money.

9. Weigh the benefits of asking your grandparents about continuing to take a medication as they age, such as its affects on their body (such as weight gain) or its side effects.
10. Be aware that some medications should not be taken with certain foods or drinks.
11. If you have never helped administer medication to a loved one before, practice in advance; this ensures you are prepared when the time comes and you will feel confident going into the situation.
12. Never give your grandparents a medication that has not been prescribed to them by their physician.
13. Remember, nothing is worse than the feeling of giving a medication that was not prescribed for them, and perhaps even worsening their symptoms.
14. Never leave your grandparents alone when they are taking any medications or when their medications are accessible to others (especially children).
15. Never give your grandparents any alcohol while they are taking any prescription or over-the-counter medication (alcohol can interact with many drugs and cause severe adverse effects).

In addition, we recommend that you ensure the proper storage of your family members’ prescriptions. See to it that they are kept in a cool and dry location that is safe from inquisitive kids and pets. For medicines requiring other specific storage, store them accordingly.

As an organization offering premier home care services in Bloomfield, New Jersey, you might also want to follow our suggestion about keeping an updated medication list of all drugs that are entering your elderly relatives’ system. To avoid adverse drug reactions, make sure to include information such as the name of the drugs, the frequency that they are taken, dosages, the name of the prescribing clinician, the purpose for the drugs, and whether they are to be taken short-term or long-term.

Check out our next blog article to see the rest of our recommendations.