Stay Calm & Reduce Stress: Medication Management for Your Aging Loved One

by | Jul 14, 2016 | Senior Home Care

Caring for an aging loved one involves juggling a lot of information, i.e. doctor’s appointments, care instructions, medications, and medical lingo. This can lead to a bit of stress for you and your aging loved one but the stress is manageable with thoughtful practices. One of the keys to caring for your aging loved one is making sure that they are taking the correct medication at the right time and watching out for possible dangerous interactions or side effects.

Medication management is simpler when you keep a checklist of all the prescription and over-the-counter medications your aging loved one takes. For each medicine, mark the amount they take, the time of day they take it, and whether it should be taken with food. Note which side effects your aging loved one may experience in coordination with which medications. Keep multiple copies of this list in easy to access places like your kitchen, bathroom, and purse so that you have it handy whenever there is a question.
It may be overwhelming for your aging loved one to remember which medications treat which illness, how often they should take each one, how much to take, and how taking the medication will make them feel physically and mentally. From aspirin to the most sophisticated prescription medicine on the market, all drugs come with side effects. Many are insignificant, some are just an inconvenience, a few are serious, and some are just odd. Perhaps the most common set of side effects for drugs taken internally involves the gastrointestinal system. Nearly any drug can cause nausea or an upset stomach, though it may only happen to a handful of users. Keeping this in mind, might help make your aging loved one more comfortable and less stressed.

The medication management checklist will be a useful tool to keep your aging loved one, yourself, and the companion caregiver informed. Having everyone on the same page with medication management will help your aging adult stay calm and reduce the stress in their lives. In the case of an uncomfortable side-effect, your aging loved one will be comforted knowing which medication may be causing it.
At every visit to the doctor and whenever the doctor prescribes new medicine, review this checklist. The doctor may have new information about the medicines that might be important. If possible, have the health care provider write down advice and instructions for taking each medication. Keep this information handy on the checklist.

When it comes to taking care of your aging loved one, peace of mind home care means reducing stress in any way that you can, and one of those means is to be organized and well-informed. If you are juggling too much information to keep up with, our licensed professionals are trained to issue medication reminders and able to conduct medication reviews to ensure that the medicines your loved one is taking are the right ones. If you would like to discuss how we can help, give us a call at 828.200.9000