By Jennifer Beach, LSW, MA, C-SWCM
Mary couldn’t understand what was going on with her 85-year-old mom. Her mom was usually very upbeat, busy and involved in more things than you can imagine. But over the past couple of months, Mary’s mom has been tired, less interested in things and confused about dates and time, which is unlike her.
Mary’s mom ended up in the ER due to confusion and fatigue. After a little investigation, it was discovered her mom had not renewed her Thyroid medication and had not been taking it for over a month.
Jim received a call from his father’s assisted living center at 3 a.m. His dad had stomach pain, chest pains and nausea. 911 was called and he was taken to the ER. It turned out his father stopped taking his Omeprazole that treats these very symptoms of his GERD for the past two weeks.
Medication management can be a challenge as we age and for many families. Sooner or later, the question becomes, “Is my loved one safe or able to manage their own medications?”
Prescription medications are an essential part of life, and they can help individuals live less painful and more productive lives.
- According to the Mayo Clinic, about seven out of every 10 Americans take at least one type of prescription drug.
- The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reports that nearly three out of four people aged 65 or older have multiple chronic health conditions they are addressing with medications.
- Additionally, many older adults also face declining eyesight, hearing loss, grip strength, mobility and memory issues
- Nearly one in three hospital admissions and readmissions of the elderly are linked to problems and/or harmful side effects due to medications. This can include depression, constipation, falls, immobility, confusion and hip fractures.
What can we do to help an older loved one be safe and manage their medications:
- Consider a team approach. Talk to your loved one about working together and creating a safe, workable system. Having a check-and-balance system for medications can reduce errors and keep individuals out of the ER. This includes a system for monitoring and tracking medications on a daily, weekly or determined timeframe that is workable now. Keep in mind, all things change and should be reviewed periodically to ensure your system is still effective.
- Review all medications and supplements. Create a list with the name of all the medications and supplements your loved one is taking. Include dosage, time of day to take, what it is for, who prescribes and when did it start. Also include all over-the-counter medications taken as needed. Review the list with both your loved one’s medical provider and pharmacist. This may sound like a lot of work but understanding what and why someone is taking something, how it interacts with other medications/supplements, foods, the potential side effects, if medication is still needed, the individual’s current weight and age can all have an impact and determine if the medication/supplement is still needed and being taken safely.
- Accept that your loved one may no longer be able to be any part of their medication management. A safe system includes not having access to any medications, supplements or over-the-counter medications along with monitoring daily dispensing.
Both Mary’s mother and Jim’s father could have avoided lost days of discomfort and the trips to the ER. Thankfully, nothing significant resulted.
Making sure all aspects of medication management are being addressed may seem overwhelming but can be lifesaving and keep loved ones out of the ER. If you are having challenges with a loved one or yourself in this area, take the time and address it. Be prepared, talk with family members for assistance, talk with doctors and pharmacists. Take steps to keep yourself and loved ones safe and out of the ER. The earlier you talk about and address the issue, the better this will be for all involved.
Original Article: https://www.northeastohioboomer.com/featured/the-challenge-of-medication-management/