Taking medication can be frustrating for anyone. However, for the elderly medication is even more difficult as they are usually on many different types of medication. Making matters worse is that some of these pills look the same and different medications have to be taken at different times during the day. It can easily become confusing and difficult to keep track of. However, with a little organization a caregiver can help the elderly deal with their medication and make sure every pill is taken on time.
When receiving home care one of the first things a caregiver can do to help the elderly with their medication is to write down a list of all the medication in a notebook. Write down every pill, what it does, what time it needs to be taken and what the pill looks like. If this list is taken to a new doctor, a visiting medical professional or the emergency services, they can see quickly what the senior is taking. For a caregiver helping the elderly the list can help make sure all the medication is taken, it can serve as a check list. With a description of the medication written down, a caregiver can easily see if every pill that needs to be taken is present before the medication is given.
Another way to help the elderly, who choose home care, to take their medication is to use a pill box. Some pill boxes have the days of the week, while others can be personalized, with not only days of the weeks but different times. A caregiver can use the master list of medications they have made to fill each pill box. This way a caregiver can look in the pill box labeled with the time and date to see if medication has been taken or not. It is easy to tell if a dose has been missed.
With a little organization it is easy to help the elderly with their medications. Just be patient and thorough and many problems can be avoided.
Tags: free elderly care information, free home care information
