Taking care of seniors is an incredibly challenging but rewarding task. There’s nothing more heart-warming than taking care of an individual who’s seen life, enjoying the downtime of what has been a colorful life.
One of the many challenges set before caregivers, however, is medication management. Seniors have aging bodies which increasingly become weak, which is why it’s necessary to have them on multiple medications.
Some medications come with complex instructions. Some pills must be taken with no meals, others with full glasses of water, and others still, only half a pill in the morning. With so much to contend with, scheduling, reminding, and managing can seem overwhelming.
Luckily, there are ways to simplify medical management—and while a medication log sheet can help you manage, there are other ways you can do to make everything smooth and organized. Here’s how:
1 – Get a pillbox
A pillbox may seem cliche or somewhat silly, but even the young ones can have difficulty remembering medicine intake schedules. It’s easier to take and manage meds when they’re separated by day, stacked neatly in compartments they only need to open.
It’s just easier to remember what needs to be taken when everything’s in the same place. As a caregiver, you can fill it for them and check each day, ensuring that they’re taken daily.
2 – Incorporate taking medications into their daily routines
Our brains work in mysterious ways, and one of them is associating one thing with another. Taking your pills before taking a bath, for instance, will help you remember what you need to do. Even if you forget, the mere act of hopping in the shower will signal that something’s amiss.
This little trick can help make medication management easier for your loved one. Encourage them to incorporate their medications into their daily tasks, perhaps after a morning cup of tea, lunch, and even before taking a little stroll outside.
3 – Harness the power of technology
The many benefits of the digital world are undeniable—we use our smartphones for everything, 24/7. We can watch, play, chat, read, and more, which is why medication log apps are readily available for use.
While the elderly may not be as friendly with smartphones, you as the caregiver will be able to remind them, even if you’re away. These apps are easy to navigate, allowing you to enable notifications that will help you stay on top of things.
4 – Patience is key
Seniors in need of caregiving experience cognitive decline as they age, so forgetting to take their medication as indicated may become a daily challenge. While forgetfulness is not necessarily regarded as a serious medical issue, it can pose greater risks.
Missing medications may increase the potency of their symptoms, which can raise the risks. As a caregiver, it’s part of your tasks to remind, check, and double-check. Remind them when it’s time to do so, taking extra care to help them understand the steps. You need to check if they’ve done it, and then double-check if they’ve done it the proper way.
Conclusion
Medicines and supplements will be continually prescribed and will increase in number as the years pass by. They’re needed to help sustain your loved one’s health, so it’s important to keep the pillboxes updated and lists in hand. Take time each weak to organize the prescriptions properly, so that everything goes smoothly.
You’ll also do well to seek the aid of a digital daily medication log, such as My Medication Log’s MedManage. It helps not only with medication management but also with the complete monitoring of chronic diseases. It also offers elder and geriatric care management, opioid and substance abuse monitoring, and so much more.
It also empowers users to gain control of their health by connecting them with pharmacists, who are ready to answer any questions about medications directly through the app.
Looking for a daily medication log to help you manage prescriptions effectively? MedManage is the answer. Discover health today—download our application now!