Because of their declining cognitive functions, older adults often forget to take their medications. Missing medications is likely to have a significant effect on the health of your senior loved one. And side effects can be felt when medications are not taken as prescribed. Our adult day care center in Greenacres Florida has registered nurses who ensure that your loved one takes his/her medications on time with the correct dose.
What to Expect when your Senior Overdose or Underdose his Medications
Overdosing and underdosing your medications can harm your senior loved one. Underdosing means that your loved one does not experience the expected therapeutic effect the medication is prescribed for. This also means that he may need to take the medications longer than he has to if he takes it correctly when prescribed. Also, underdosing can result in the formation of a blood clot which requires a hospital visit. Meanwhile, overdosing can take place especially if your loved one takes multiple medications. The dangers of overdosing can’t be stressed enough; however, the results can be serious and even fatal.
Importance of Medication Management and Reminders
Taking medications as prescribed by the doctor is essential to ensure that your seniors get the relief from his illness or pain. Apart from the dosage, medication management considers both the time of the day the medicine is taken and the frequency to take it. Medication management is important for our clients to prevent the following issues:
• Dangerous Interactions. A number of medicines don’t pair well together. If your senior loved one has different doctors for different health problems, the doctor may be prescribing a drug which interacts with the one your loved one is currently taking. This can lead to more adverse reactions and serious health issues.
• Duplications. Medication management prevents various kinds of medications from duplications. A medicine with the same component to a certain medicine might be prescribed by another physician. For instance, if your loved one is taking a medicine with a high level of acetaminophen and then take Tylenol for another ailment as prescribed by another doctor, further health problems can occur.
• Toxicity. Mixing too many medications, taking the wrong amount of medicines and consuming the wrong food or drinks while taking a particular medicine can result in the medicines becoming toxic. Older adults are at a high risk of toxicity due to how the body absorbs medicines. Medication management and proper choice of what to take can help in fighting this dangerous reaction.
• Ineffectiveness. Managing medications makes sure the effectiveness of the medications your senior loved one is taking. Taking medications that don’t really work for your loved one will only increase the possibility of the risks mentioned above.
To know more about our senior care services, please call Greenacres Adult Day Care at 941-786-6786.
