Columbia Aged Care

As a carer it is extremely important to manage your loved ones medication to ensure they remain healthy. If medications are taken incorrectly they can cause dangerous side effects such as high blood pressure, incontinence, constipation, skin rashes or falls.

Medications must be administered at the right time with the right dosage, which can be difficult when your loved one has a variety of different medications.

Aged Carer has provided some useful tips for managing your loved ones medication.

• Visit only one pharmacist: It’s important to establish a regular pharmacist because they will know the history of your loved one’s medication. They can also consult with your local doctor if there is an issue.
• Use Webster or blister packs: Your loved one’s pharmacist can pack their medication into blister or Webster packs, which arranges their medications into separate days. This allows your loved one to access their medications safely and prevent over medicating.
• Understand all medications: Read the consumer medication leaflet inside the medication package and keep them in a file for future reference. When you know the ingredients in your loved one’s medication you can help to prevent possible allergic reactions.
• Know the side effects of medications: Ask your loved one’s doctor about the possible side effects they can experience from their medication. This will help you to assess the severity of any side effects that occur.
• Keep an up-to-date medication list: This list should detail all of your loved ones medication, allergies and side effects to possible medications. It can be used in emergencies or by respite carers.

If you notice that your loved one is experiencing side effects from their medication consult with their doctor as soon as possible. However with these helpful tips on managing your loved ones medication you can help to prevent medication errors and keep your loved one healthy.

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When planning a trip all travellers should be careful to ensure that they will stay healthy and safe while they are away. Older people need to be more careful as they may have a few extra concerns.

Nobody wants to fall ill or be worried about health and safety while on holidays – holidays are meant to be relaxing. Therefore, to make the planning process easier when it comes to health and safety, here are some tips the Better Health Channel has provided for travelling seniors:

Pre-trip planning:

• Research the areas you will be visiting and note down the medical facilities there.
• Research factors that may affect you such as climate, language and culture.
• Make arrangements for mobility needs in advance.
• Organise travel insurance.

Your Luggage:

• Make sure your carry-on bag contains everything you will need for the entire flight including a medical kit with medications, painkillers and band-aids.
• Take a pill box with separate weekday compartments to ensure your daily medication routine is not forgotten.
• Take a spare pair of glasses.

Safety Suggestions:

• Don’t travel around at night.
• Don’t wear expensive jewellery.
• Wear valuables on a belt worn under clothes and next to the skin.
• If you are going overseas, carry with you the contact details of the Australian Embassy in case you need help.

Read the full article here.

AgingCare.com's Editor, Marlo Sollitto's article, 'Guide for managing medications and prescriptions' breaks down how you can help your loved one to manage their prescriptions and medication.

When patients, caregivers, doctors and pharmacists function as a team, medication-related problems can be avoided, contributing to better outcomes and improved daily functioning. Here are some tips for managing medication use:

Understand the medication
Find out as much as possible about every medication: the name, dosage, frequency and side effects. Understand why it has been prescribed, and ask the doctor to write down instructions for its use.

Have complete medical records
Make sure to provide complete medical records to your loved one’s health care providers. Medical history records should contain surgeries, immunizations, allergies and family health history (i.e. diabetes, colon cancer). Records can be sent by a previous provider if needed.

Follow the directions
Following the directions of the medication is imperative to ensure safety. Read all instructions carefully. Dispense only the recommended dosage at one time and finish the entire prescription if instructed. There may be foods or drinks to avoid while taking the medicine. Or the medicine may have to be taken with food or a whole glass of water.

Avoid dangerous drug interactions

The average older adult takes five or more prescriptions drugs each day. In addition, many elderly people take various over-the-counter medications, such as antacids, laxatives or pain-killers, which are often used without informing their physician.  The drugs may conflict and interact poorly with each other – basically going to war against each other in the body, leading to serious side effects and even life-threatening conditions.

Make sure that every physician involved with your loved one’s care knows about all prescribed and over-the-counter medications. Ask the physician to check for possible drug interactions. Keep a detailed list including the drug name, size of dosage (usually in milligrams) recommended dosage (daily, for example), and any cautions stated on the package. Carry a copy of this list with you in your wallet or purse at all times. This record will be invaluable in the event of a serious drug interaction or overdose. Share the lists with your doctors.  Also, use the same pharmacy to fill all prescriptions, so the pharmacist can keep an eye out for dangerous interactions.

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