How Assisted Living Improves Medication Safety
Roughly two-thirds of all adults in the United States use some kind of prescription drug. That percentage only goes up as a person grows older and develops more health concerns. However, taking these medications as prescribed can also become more complicated as their number increases.
When a person moves into an assisted living community, they expect that assistance to extend to their pharmaceutical needs. Even if a community doesn't have a doctor on campus, they should still have staff that can help.
Here's how assisted living enhances elderly pharmacy safety and makes their lives easier.
The Importance of Senior Medication Safety
As a person ages, their bodies naturally undergo significant changes in how they operate and process medications. They may feel more pain in their joints and require medications to soothe any aches. At the same time, certain drugs can exacerbate other conditions or even interact with other prescriptions.
One of the many amenities and services offered at an assisted living community includes medical and pharmaceutical help.
Seniors may want assistance from community staff for one of a few different reasons. Maybe they struggle to coordinate all the different drugs prescribed to them. It's also possible that their memory fails them, and they forget to take certain ones.
Constant awareness is required to make sure seniors are taking their medications as they should.
Common Medication Challenges for the Elderly
The challenges seniors face will vary from person to person and depend on their own medical needs. Elderly health services should take these factors into account when deciding how to provide the help they require.
Complicated Prescriptions
One challenge common for many seniors is the fact that they need to take several medications daily. On top of that, some of these medications are usually taken in the morning or at night. Seniors might need to take them only once in the morning or twice throughout the day.
Needless to say, it can get very complicated fast.
In addition, seniors can run into harmful drug interactions if they're not careful. Certain medications are spaced out throughout the day because they might enhance or delay another one's effects. It's also possible that certain drugs work better in tandem with one another.
Cognitive Decline
Another issue a senior may encounter is difficulty remembering to take their medications. They may take incorrect doses, double their medication, or even lose them entirely. Any of these situations can have serious consequences for their health.
An assisted living community can help each resident organize their medications and make sure they take them on time. While the community may not have a medical physician on-site at all times, they will be able to coordinate care with a resident's doctor and their local pharmacy.
Prioritizing senior medication safety protocols is especially important for anyone in memory care, which is reserved for those with dementia.
Complex Dosage Schedules
Seniors may need to take certain medications at specific times of the day or right after meals. If they have memory issues, this can prove much too complicated for them. They could accidentally take too many pills at one time or even double their dose by mistake.
An assisted living community's staff should be able to help each resident take what they need when they need it. They can set up alarms for a resident, organize their pillbox, and even monitor how many pills they have left.
Physical Limitations
A senior may have trouble taking their medications due to physical limitations such as arthritis or tremors. Weakened hands could struggle to open standard medication bottles. If their hands are shaky, they will have difficulty measuring out liquid doses accurately.
Assisted living staff can make administering medications part of their daily routine if necessary. They can give injections and measure out medication doses.
Assisted Living Benefits for Elderly Pharmacy
What kind of elderly pharmacy services can you expect from an assisted living community? While residents won't always have access to doctors, they will get a lot of help from the community's staff.
Some of these amenities and services include:
- A comprehensive wellness program
- 24/7 associate support
- Fitness center
- Housekeeping services
- On-site spa
- Preventative health screenings
- Specialized caregivers
All amenities are meant to make each resident's life easier and help support their emotional and physical wellness.
Professional Medication Management
One of the main benefits of moving into an assisted living community is access to professional medication management. Professional help is especially important for seniors who live far away from family members who could help them organize their medications.
Upon admission into a community, staff will assess a resident's medications and make sure there are no drug interactions or duplications. They'll cross-check all prescriptions, including past and present ones.
Each resident receives a personalized medication plan matching their specific health needs. They receive regular monitoring for any side effects or adverse reactions.
Elderly Pharmacy Services
Many assisted living communities partner with elder care pharmacy services to provide specialized support. These pharmacies can offer specialized packaging, delivery services, and consultation services.
In particular, the delivery services are helpful for residents who are unable to drive. They won't need to arrange for transportation if they can get their medication delivered straight to their homes.
Enhanced Safety Protocols
Your community will use extra safety protocols to make sure that residents are taking the medications they're supposed to. That includes double-checking medications and doses using electronic records. Medications are also stored in secure areas if necessary, which is helpful when dealing with memory care residents.
Avoid Needless Medical Complications
Elderly pharmacy services aren't just about providing the medications seniors need in a timely manner. In many cases, their focus is to monitor medication usage and make sure there are no nasty drug interactions. These issues would often go otherwise unnoticed until the worst happened.
The Watermark at Brooklyn Heights provides city views and premium bedroom floor plans for seniors in Brooklyn, NY. Our living choices include independent living, assisted living, memory care, and short-term stays. Contact us with any questions and to set up an in-person visit today.