Did you know nearly 90% of older adults take at least one prescription medication? With so many seniors relying on medicines to manage health conditions, they must take their medications regularly and correctly. Medication management services help seniors keep track of their medication dosages, frequency, and more. Serenity Home Care is a provider of in-home care services, including medication services, to residents throughout Oregon. Here, we share more information about medication management and the benefits of it for older adults.
What Are Medication Services?
Daily medications are a part of many seniors’ lives and are crucial to keeping them healthy. However, many seniors can forget to take their meds, mix up pills, or double up on dosages. Medication services are designed to help people with in-home medication administration to keep their dosages consistent, correct, and working efficiently. They are also used to prevent incorrect medication administration that can cause side effects. Some medication management services include:
- Developing a proper medication schedule
- Making a list of current medications and dosages
- Filling medicine organizers with proper medicines and amounts
- Administering medicines at the correct time and in the correct dosages
- Setting reminder devices to ensure prescriptions are taken at the right time
- Monitoring the patient after medications for side effects
- Coordinating with other doctors and medical professionals
Medication management is used often in senior living communities like assisted living facilities, but can also be available in-home, like at Serenity Home Care. The best candidates for medication management services are elderly people who struggle to remember to take or if they have taken their medications, people whose medication routines are extremely important to their health, and immobile people.
Advantages of Medication Management
The main goal of medication management is to ensure a patient’s compliance with taking medications. These services are greatly beneficial in leading to improved patient use and administration of medications. In turn, individuals can experience many subsequential benefits, including:
Enhanced Health Outcomes
Taking medications improperly or irregularly can lead to them becoming ineffective. It can also cause interactions that lead to side effects. When patients begin taking their medications regularly, they experience improved health outcomes and reduced side effects from drug interactions. It can also provide stress relief for patients’ families, who may worry about medications not being taken properly.
Increased Independence
In-home medication management services are a great way for seniors to stay independent and in their homes while still ensuring they take their medications. Some seniors access medication management in senior living facilities, but many don’t want to leave their homes or their sense of independence. By having someone visit their home and administer their medications, they can comply with their doctor’s orders and remain comfortable at home.
Decreased Costs
Since medication management improves health outcomes, it also leads to a decrease in medical costs that might’ve resulted from incorrect medication administration. When medications aren’t taken correctly, patients often have to deal with health problems, doctor’s visits, and hefty fees. By taking meds properly, patients can avoid these costs.
These are just some of the benefits that seniors can get from medication services. They can be used alone or in combination with other in-home care services like companion care and personal care.
Schedule an In-Home Assessment Today
If your loved one forgets their medication or mixes up doses, consider medication management services from Serenity Home Care in Oregon. Serenity Home Care is a family-owned home care agency staffed with a compassionate team of professionals. We are licensed by the Health Care Regulation and Quality Improvement program from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to provide residents with a variety of care services. Schedule an in-home assessment today to see if our medication services are right for your loved one.
