Professional Medication Management

Importance of Medication Management for Seniors

If you help care for an aging loved one, or are advancing in age yourself, you may have heard of the importance of medication management. As people age, they can develop multiple chronic conditions, which may require several prescription drugs from more than one prescriber. With this situation, there comes an increased risk of drug interactions, side effects, and accidentally missing or doubling doses. Medication management is a set of practices to prevent these things from happening. Here, we provide a guide that features tips and services, as well as an introduction to how Minnesota Home Quality Care can help you or your loved one stay safe.

What types of services are available?

Comprehensive medication management is no small task, and many people decide to hire professional medication management services. However, if you want to try helping a loved one, such as a parent, to manage his or her medicines, here are a few tips to get you started:

• Keep a list of all medications, including doses and dosage times, for records.
• Remember to consider over-the-counter (non-prescribed) medications and nutraceuticals like vitamins, minerals, and herbal remedies when compiling your medication list as these medications may also contribute to side effects and drug interactions.
• Share this list with your parent’s primary care physician and pharmacist. Ask if they see any potential issues.
• Try medication management systems, such as a pill dispenser or pill reminders.
• Store medications properly in a cool, dry place.
• When a new medication is introduced, keep a journal of changes in mood or behavior in order to monitor for potential side effects.

Do I need these services?

Many families decide that managing medicines without professional help isn’t safe or sustainable. Perhaps your mom has dementia and struggles to remember her medications. Maybe your dad lives miles away, and you can’t be there every day to help. Or perhaps you, as the primary caregiver for your mom or dad, aren’t able to give him or her the full care he or she deserves because you’re already juggling attending to your own household and work. In these sorts of circumstances, hiring a home care partner to provide medication management to your parent in the comfort of his or her own home may be the safest and most loving decision you can make..