Many seniors take multiple medications, and it can be challenging to manage them. Some must be taken with every meal, while others are designated for morning or night. Complicating things, many medications are similar in appearance. Yet it’s essential that all prescriptions are taken as directed. Could you or a loved one benefit from assistance with managing medications? Serenity Home Care®, located in Beaverton, Oregon, explains how medication management works and why it’s beneficial.
What Is Medication Management?
Sometimes called pill reminder services, medication management pairs trained caregivers with seniors and others who need a complex schedule of prescriptions. The goal is to ensure that individuals take the correct medications in the prescribed dosage and at the time intended by their physicians. This guidance helps prevent adverse drug events (ADEs), like reactions, overdoses, unintended interactions, and more.
Why Use Medication Management?
While pillboxes organized by day of the week can be helpful to some, seniors with more complex medication regimens may need additional help. Recalling a doctor’s instructions can be difficult for many, especially as they age and the number of doctors and prescriptions increases.
Our clients choose medication management for many reasons, but the most common include:
- Memory loss and/or the inability to comprehend instructions
- Limited mobility, poor vision, and other physical effects of aging
- Culture, religion, and personal beliefs that cause resistance to medical intervention
- Unpleasant side effects
- Reluctance to pay for refills or visit doctors for new scripts
Getting assistance is so important because of the serious consequences that arise when medications are taken improperly or not at all. In fact, incorrect use of prescriptions or failing to take them causes approximately 33 to 69 percent of all hospital admissions, with an even higher rate among seniors. With medication management, seniors receive the reminders and assistance needed to avoid these dangerous outcomes.
Options Based on Need
Medication management from Serenity Home Care® begins with an assessment of each client’s current prescription regimen. We review the prescriptions taken, their proper dosages, the time of day they must be taken, and any special instructions. With this information in mind, we recommend one of two medication management services.
The first method uses an electronic system to issue an alarm, phone call, or alert from the device when it’s time for an individual to take their medication. After this reminder is issued, they can press a button on the system, which dispenses the right dosage of each prescription and states any additional instructions. Our caregivers will receive a report when medicines are taken, as well as notification if the client fails to take their prescriptions. This option is ideal for individuals living independently without memory loss or physical issues that make identifying, handling, and dispensing medications more challenging.
The other option provides an in-home caregiver to help clients who need more assistance than an electronic system can provide. Depending on the client’s needs, our caregivers may:
- Visit daily or as needed to administer medications
- Visit weekly to set up medications correctly and set reminders, making it easier for clients to take them at appropriate times and doses
Please note that medication management services apply to non-injectable medications only. To learn more, call 503-520-9400 to speak with a representative.
Trust Serenity Home Care® for Medication Management
If you or a loved one struggles with adherence to doctor-prescribed medication schedules, Serenity Home Care® can help. We are licensed by the Oregon Health Authority, Health Care Regulation, and Quality Improvement and comply with the requirements of Division 536 of the Oregon Administrative Rules as a Comprehensive In-Home Care Agency. To schedule medication management services in Beaverton and throughout Northeastern Oregon or to learn more, contact us today.
