Medications are extremely beneficial when you need to relieve pain, prevent chronic illness symptoms or cure an infection. However, they can also cause serious harm. When taken incorrectly or even in combination with something else, helpful meds can quickly cause unwanted side effects and adverse reactions. For senior citizens who use medication on a regular basis, it is crucial to understand how to prevent these dangerous reactions and side effects. This is particularly true since seniors often take several different pills at any given time, especially when you consider the fact that mismanagement of medication in one way or another is why 23 percent of individuals are admitted into a nursing home. Here are a couple of tips to help you avoid this:
1. Don't Overlook the Importance of a Pill Container.
You can get a pill container at your local pharmacy that comes with a compartment for every day of the week. You (or someone you trust) can arrange your medications by day and place them in appropriate compartments. If you take a lot, you could have one container for morning, another for afternoon and another for bedtime. Make sure each container is clearly labeled so that you don't get them mixed up. It is best to do this in advance to avoid any unnecessary confusion, especially when some medications have similar sounding names.
They even make some pill containers that are fully-automated and will shoot the pill out to you at the time of day when the medication needs to be taken. This helps to avoid any mix-up about what is supposed to be taken and when. These are also helpful when your hands become too fragile and are unable to open the plastic lids on the pill containers.
2. Be Aware of Interactions with Food.
You likely know that most medications have side effects when taken with alcohol, but you may not think too much about your medication interacting with your basic foods. Unfortunately, this can cause some serious damage if overlooked. For example, grapefruit is known to interact with over 85 medications, with 43 of those medications creating harmful effects. In order to know if your medications interact with some of your favorite foods, contact your doctor or even your pharmacist to discuss your medications and diet.
3. Consider Setting a Reminder on Your Phone.
Even the majority of seniors these days have a cell phone that comes equipped with an alarm system, so there is better time than the present to put it to use. Allow one of your family members to create an alarm for each time of the day that you need to take your medication. This way, if you forget on your own, you'll still get your medication because the alarm will remind you that it is time to take it.
4. Keep Your Doctor Updated on Your Medications.
When you visit your doctor, go over the medications and dosages that you're taking. Let them know if you have experienced any side effects, as they may be able to adjust the dosage, change the time of day you take it or go with another drug to eliminate the reactions.
Many senior citizens move into an assisted living facility in order to maintain their independence but still get a little help when they need it with certain tasks, such as medications. For more information, contact Casa De Palomas or a similar location.
