As your loved one has gotten older, you might have noticed a steadily growing number of medications building up in their medicine cabinet. While it might be a bit of a shock to see just how many pill bottles your parents are collecting, it’s important to remember that this is a normal part of getting older. According to The Journal of Patient Safety, “people over the age of 65 use more medications, both over-the-counter and prescription, than any other age group.”

Still, as important as these medications are to our parents’ health, they can also be dangerous, if not taken correctly. It’s essential for anyone to practice medicine safety – but especially for seniors, who might have trouble keeping up with their growing number of medications.

From medicine storage to ensuring that no incompatible drugs are being taken together, there are many ways to ensure your parent is taking her medications safely. Today, we’ll let you know exactly how you can help prevent medication-related problems for your parent.

There are many reasons that your parent might struggle with his or her medications. For one thing, age-related changes such as weight loss or decreased body fluid can alter how drugs perform in a body. Similarly, weakened kidneys and livers may not process drugs as easily, so medication could stay in the body for longer periods of time. In addition, issues like memory loss or hearing and vision difficulties make it hard to remember when to take medications or understand how to take them properly.

Finally, if your parent suffers from a condition like arthritis, high blood pressure, or diabetes, he will likely follow a complex medicine regimen that can be difficult to keep up with.

According to the FDA, “as you age, body changes can affect the way medicines are absorbed and used. For example, changes in the digestive system can affect how fast medicines enter the bloodstream. Changes in body weight can influence the amount of medicine you need to take and how long it stays in your body. The circulation system may slow down, which can affect how fast drugs get to the liver and kidneys. The liver and kidneys also may work more slowly affecting the way a drug breaks down and is removed from the body.”

Regardless of the reason, at its worst, practicing medicine safety can mean the difference between life and death for seniors. Be sure that you, your parent, and your parents’ caregiver are doing all that they can to prevent any problems.

First, it’s important to make a note of what we consider medications. Believe it or not, medicine covers more than just the pills inside an orange bottle. In addition to prescription pills, there are prescription creams, asthma inhalers, epi-pens, and more. Medicine also refers to over-the-counter meds, like pills, creams, liquids, or chew tablets. Additionally, things like vitamins, ear and eye drops, and dietary supplements are all considered medications.

This is an exhaustive list – and it’s essential that you keep track of everything your parent is taking. You never know if a vitamin can’t mix with a certain prescription, or if a cream will cause an allergic reaction.

On that note, be sure to coordinate your parents’ care. If your mother has more than one provider, it can be more difficult to stay on top of all of her medications. It’s not impossible, though. You just need to get everyone on the same page. You can use something called medication reconciliation to get everyone on your mother’s health team coordinated. Medication reconciliation means creating a thorough list of all possible medications that your parent might be taking and comparing it to her patient record and medication orders.

When creating this list, make sure it’s as detailed as possible. Try to include the drug name, the frequency of use, and the dosage. Again, don’t forget to add the seemingly little stuff here – like eye creams or vitamins. The more information you can provide, the better for creating a clear understanding of your mother’s medicinal needs. After comparing the list with your mother’s medical records, ensure that everything is updated and correct. Be sure to take the list to all doctor appointments or care appointments of any kind.

In addition to coordinating care through medication reconciliation, you can also ensure that all of your mother’s medicine is coming through the same pharmacy. That way, you’ll have a clear, organized record of your mother’s medications and you will have an easier time keeping track of everything. Not only that, but the pharmacist will keep an updated list of all the medicines your parent is taking – and will know if any two medicines should not be taken together.

If your mother has prescriptions sent to multiple pharmacies, mix ups can happen very quickly. This could mean forgotten meds, double dosages, or a lost record of prescriptions – all of which can be extremely dangerous or even deadly.

Pharmacists are also a great resource for answering any questions you might have about a medication. Having one pharmacist is even better, because she will be somewhat familiar with your parents’ medications and history.

In addition to keeping an organized record of your parents’ medication, you’ll want to make sure the medicine is organized within the household. If your dad is keeping one pill bottle in the kitchen, another in the living room, and another in the bathroom – he’s more likely to forget a dose or two. Make sure that all of his medications are stored in one place, like the bathroom cabinet. If your dad does not have a caregiver, help him to organize the cabinet as efficiently as possible – in the order of when he takes each dose, for instance.

Of course, certain medications need to be stored in the refrigerator or in another specific environment. Consult your parents’ doctor to ensure that the medications are being stored properly. 

While you’re going through the cabinet with him, make sure that nothing is expired or out of date. Check over each bottle with your own list to ensure that there’s nothing missing, or nothing present that shouldn’t be. If your dad has any over-the-counter drugs, check with his doctor to make sure they can mix with his prescriptions. If they can’t, get rid of them right away.

Every week, you should also pre-sort a week’s worth of medication or they also have monthly pill organizers now if that is easier. Use a pill organizer to best manage your parents’ medication, dose by dose. Choose an organizer that has the correct number of compartments per day for your parents’ individual needs. If any drugs need to be split or crushed, do so ahead of time, so your parent doesn’t need to struggle trying or accidentally forget and take too much.

Once you have an organized record of your parents’ medications – and you’ve gathered everything into one place – take your parent to the doctor. Bring your list, so that the doctor can go over every medication carefully and ensure that it all looks good. While you’re there, get the facts about each drug.

For every medication, you should know: the name, the reason it’s being taken, and the possible side effects. While you might not pay attention to side effects for yourself, it’s essential that you know what they are for your parents. As we age, our kidneys and livers can weaken, making medications stay in our bodies longer. This means that seniors are more susceptible to feeling side effects than younger people. If you notice that your parent is suffering from side effects, consult their doctor right away.

Make sure that your parents’ doctor also has an updated list of your parents’ allergies – so that he can make sure there’s no risk of a reaction with new types of medications.

In addition to asking about side effects, be sure to check in about possible drug interactions. Drug interactions occur when one drug affects how the other works, a specific medical condition reacts poorly to a certain type of drug, a food or drink reacts with a drug, alcohol reacts with a drug, or supplements react with a drug.

Learn about interactions by speaking with your parents’ doctor, carefully reading labels, and reviewing special instructions with your parents’ pharmacist. It’s possible that drug interactions will cause side effects that seem similar to natural health problems in the elderly. Most commonly, memory problems or light headedness. If you notice that your parent is suffering from a sudden health issue, don’t write it off as a normal part of ageing before speaking to your parents’ physician. 

Watch out, especially, for dizzying side effects. If you notice that your father’s medication is making him dizzy, be sure to tell the doctor right away. Dizziness could affect your father’s balance and cause him to fall – which could lead to a plethora of health problems.

Pay careful attention to how drugs might interact with food or alcohol. Drug-alcohol interactions can be incredibly dangerous – so know which of your parents’ drugs do not mix well with alcohol. If you notice that your parent is dizzy, irritable, or imbalanced after drinking – it may be the result of a bad interaction.

When it comes to food, a food/drug interaction occurs when the digestive tract cannot absorb the drug properly because of a certain type of food being digested. In addition, it’s possible for medication to affect how nutrients are absorbed in the body. Ask your doctor if there are any foods your parent should avoid with his medication.

In addition to getting the facts, make sure you ask questions. According to The Journal for Patient Safety, “up to half of prescription medications are not taken properly.” That’s a scary statistic. Be sure your parent (or your parent’s caregiver) knows exactly how to take her medication. Examples of questions to ask your parents’ doctor might include:

 

• Should this medication be taken with food or water?
• Can this medication be taken safely with my other medications?
• How should I store the medication?
• How do I know if it’s working?
• What side effects can I expect?
• What do I do if I miss a dose?
• How does this affect over-the-counter medications?
• How will traveling to a different time zone affect this medication?

Never be afraid to ask questions. According to medical officer at the US FDA, Sandra L. Kweder, MD, FACP, “as a society, we have become reliant on pharmaceuticals to help us attain a longer and higher-quality life. It’s a wonderful success of Western medicine. The goal should be for each of us to access that benefit from respect that medicines are serious business. To get the most out of them, you should take them with great care and according to directions.” There isn’t such thing as stupid questions when it comes to medicinal care. This is, after all, “serious business.”

Here’s the thing – medicine won’t help if you aren’t taking it properly. In fact, it could make things worse. Make sure your parent is not choosing a dose for herself but is following the directions to a tee. Kweder reminds us that, “medication can’t work unless you take it. For instance, medications that treat chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes typically only work when taken regularly as directed. You have to take them continuously to maintain control over your condition.”

When it comes to taking medicine correctly, don’t forget to account for any drugs taken in the middle of the night. If you have to wake up at night to take a dose, keep that medicine beside your bed, with a glass of water, in its proper dosage.   

Try to go over your parents’ medication list at every doctor appointment – to ensure that all medications are still necessary, and any over-the-counter drugs are safe to take. At the very least, schedule a medicine “check in” appointment at least once a year for your parent.

If your parent travels, make sure they bring their doctor’s contact information with them in case there are any problems with their medications while out of town. Ensure that they know how to adjust their routine to the new time zone. Additionally, have your parent carry their meds with them at all times – and never pack them in a checked bag. You also want to make sure your parent keeps the medication away from direct sunlight or heat while on a trip. If medication is lost or tampered with on a trip, have your parent call their doctor and set up a refill at a local pharmacy.

In addition to scrutinizing every detail with your parents’ physician and pharmacist, you need to make sure that your parent is not struggling with the logistical aspects of the drugs. For instance, does your dad have a hard time opening the container? If he does, the pharmacist can provide containers that are easier to open. Does your mom struggle with swallowing pills? See if there’s a liquid form of her medication available. The drug may not work if you crush it, break it, or chew it – so make sure you know if the drug will still work if its tampered with.

If your parent has trouble reading the label, ask the pharmacist to print a label in larger font. If she still can’t read the label, you will want to make sure that you or a caregiver are helping her to take her medicine properly.

In addition to ensuring that your parent can open her medicine and read its label, you want to make sure she doesn’t forget to take it. It can be hard for caregivers and seniors alike to keep track of all the dosages – even when they’re kept in a pill organizer. Set up a medication reminder system so you can make sure all drugs are accounted for and that the right dose is taken at the right time.

One method is to create a chart on poster board, a white board, or a wall calendar. Carefully list the medications, along with their dosages, within the proper day and time. After taking each dose, mark the poster with a check mark so you know it was taken. That way, you’ll never have to wonder if a dose was missed.

You can also set alarms on your parents’ phone and their caregiver’s phone. A little notification will “ding” at the time of the medication, and you can even write down the proper dosage there. If your parent is good with technology (or if their caregiver is) you can also use a medication management app, like Medisafe, Pillboxie, or CareZone to keep track of your medications.

Medisafe is the number one app recommended by pharmacists for medication management. It sends reminders that automatically adhere to changing time zones – so if your parent is travelling, her medication reminder will go off at the proper time, regardless of what time zone she’s in. You can also manage an entire family’s medicines into the app – so if your mom and dad are taking medications, this is a way to organize both of their meds at once. The Medisafe app is completely free to use.

Pillboxie is all about visually managing your medications. By dropping an animated pill into a pillbox within the app, the app will tell you the name, color, and shape of your medication, to ensure that you’re taking the correct pill. The app also allows you set daily medication schedules with a checklist that you can mark as you go. Pillboxie is $1.99 in the App Store.

With CareZone, you upload pictures of your medication bottles and the app makes a list for you. This is a great app to use for making a list of medications and dosages. You can set reminders not just for when you need to take a pill, but also for when you need refills from the pharmacy. The app is also printable – so you can print off a pre-formatted schedule to provide your parent or her doctor with. CareZone is free in the App Store.

Speaking of technology, there might be times when your parent needs to purchase medicine on the internet. This is rare, but it does happen. Maybe they’re abroad or unable to see their doctor in person. Never order medication online without consulting a doctor first, even if remotely. If you must order your parents’ medication online, check the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites program for a seal of approval on each drug.

As your parents’ medication needs get more complicated, so do their daily routines and schedules. The more organized and efficient you can help them be, the better. After all, medicine safety is no joking matter. When it comes to medicine, responsibility means safety. 

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 Sources:

https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/4-medication-safety-tips-older-adults#:~:text=Take%20your%20medicine%20regularly%20and,first%20consulting%20with%20your%20provider.

 

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/safe-use-medicines-older-adults

 

https://dailycaring.com/medication-management-for-seniors-10-safety-tips/

 

https://www.bemedwise.org/medication-management-for-older-adults/

 

https://www.fda.gov/drugs/resources-you-drugs/medicines-and-you-guide-older-adults

 

https://eldercare.acl.gov/public/resources/brochures/docs/Older_Adults_and_Medication_Safety.pdf

 

https://journals.lww.com/journalpatientsafety/Citation/2009/03000/Medication_Safety_for_Seniors.10.aspx

 

https://www.healthinaging.org/medications-older-adults

 

https://www.drugs.com/cg/medication-safety-for-older-adults.html

 

https://betterhealthwhileaging.net/6-medication-problems-aging/

 

http://www.ihi.org/Topics/ADEsMedicationReconciliation/Pages/default.aspx

 

https://senioradvocacyservices.org/technology-for-aging-in-place-apps-for-managing-medications/