Anyone that must take a lot of different medications can find it difficult to keep track of them. This problem can be exacerbated for seniors. Because the risks of overdose and drug interactions are very serious, it is important to find ways to help your senior relative manage their medications effectively.
Keep Careful Records
One of the best ways to keep track of all of the medications that a senior takes is to keep a log. All it takes is a simple piece of paper with a written log of the name of each medication, the time it is taken and the reason. This enables everyone that cares for your relative to be on the same page. This includes relatives, doctors, pharmacies and professionals from an in-home care agency.
If it is possible, you should try to steer your loved one to use one pharmacy for all of their medication needs. This ensures that the pharmacist has a list of all current medications and can determine whether there would be any drug interactions from the various medications. In addition, you or your loved one should always carry a list of the medications they take in order to always have it with them when they visit a new doctor. This is especially important if they see more than one doctor; everyone needs to be on the same page.
