Medication Safety Guidelines for Assisted Living Residents

Almost nine in 10 older adults take at least one prescription drug regularly, while nearly 80% take at least two. About a third of them even need at least five!

As helpful as those medicines are in treating or managing diseases, their improper use can be just as harmful. For this reason, medication safety must be a top priority for older adults, including residents of assisted living communities.

To that end, we created this guide on medication management and safety for assisted living care residents. So read on, as what you learn here can help you or your senior loved one with safe medication compliance.

Importance of Medication Safety

Medication safety and management are crucial in ensuring people take their medicines correctly. They're critical guidelines that allow medications to work as they should and minimize adverse drug events (ADEs).

Conversely, improper medication use can result in ADEs. It can also cause medicines to become less effective or even ineffective.

Adverse Drug Events

ADEs are untoward or unwanted reactions to medications. They can cause minor symptoms, side effects, and allergic reactions.

However, many ADEs also result in preventable hospital emergency department (ED) visits. Indeed, they lead to approximately 1.5 million ED visits in the U.S. yearly.

Medication Compliance

Medication compliance is the degree to which patients comply with their doctor's medication instructions. It helps ensure medicines can do their job of treating, preventing, or managing illnesses. It also helps prevent health problems from worsening or new ones from developing.

On the other hand, failure to adhere to prescriptions can affect their efficacy. It can also contribute to ADEs.

Medication Safety Tips for Assisted Living Care Residents

If you or a loved one plans to transition to assisted living, you may wonder if it's okay to self-administer medications. Yes, as long as you or your loved one follow safe medication practices.

Here are some tips and guidelines to help you get started.

Prepare Copies of Medical Prescriptions

Medical prescriptions are formal, written documents issued by doctors. They contain the following information:

Name of the drug prescribed
Dosage strength
Method of administration
How often and how many of each drug to take daily
Specific times of the day to take the medications
Whether to take the medicines with or without food

You or your loved one must use the original document to buy or refill prescriptions. However, it's best to make and post personal copies in visible areas so you can quickly check their instructions for proper use. You should also show or give the community's staff a copy of the prescription.

List and Chart Medications

Do you or your older loved one take multiple medications and supplements? If so, it's best to list them in an instructional chart. The chart should include the following:

The names of the medicines and supplements
If they're prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medications
The name of the prescribing doctor and what the medicine is for
All the doctor's instructions for each medication (e.g., when or how often to take them)

Post copies of the chart in easy-to-see areas in your or your loved one's assisted living apartment. You should also provide a copy to the community's staff.

Set Reminders

Setting reminders on your smartphone can make it even easier to remember when and which medicines to take.

Most devices allow you to create a single alarm or reminder and set its frequency (e.g., daily, every other day, every Monday, etc.). They may also allow you to set pre- and post-alarms (for example, 15 minutes before and after the primary alarm). Some also let you put down notes, which you can use to remind you that you've already taken your medication.

Store Medicines Properly

Medicines have specific storage instructions stated on their labels. For example, most tell you to keep them in cool, dry places, while others require refrigeration. They also instruct users to keep them away from the reach of children (or pets).

Please follow those instructions, as proper storage can help prevent medications from degrading. Degraded medicines may not work as intended or, worse, be harmful and cause ADEs.

Invest in Medication Management Services

You'll be happy to know that assisted living communities offer medication-related services. They can provide medication reminders or more comprehensive medication management, depending on the level of care and assistance needed.

A reliable assisted living community can provide such services because an on-site nurse is available 24 hours daily. These fully trained and licensed nurses can help with proper and safe medication administration and management. They also know how to spot signs of ADEs and what to do if such incidents occur.

Medication Administration

Medication administration refers to the process of administering medicines to patients. It involves ensuring that the correct medicine with the proper dosage goes to the right patient at the right time. Administrators must also follow all the doctor's instructions written in each patient's prescription.

Comprehensive Medication Management

Do you or your older loved one need more than medication reminders? If so, don't worry, as you can rely on the compassionate staff members of your assisted living community to help with the following:

Medication administration
Refilling prescriptions
Clinical oversight
Coordinating with your doctors about your prescriptions and overall health

Aside from those tasks, your assisted living community can help with these tasks, too:

Assistance for activities of daily living (ADL)
Scheduling doctor's appointments
Transportation, whether to the doctor, a grocery store, or a social outing
Running errands on your behalf

All those services can make your life in an assisted living community more enjoyable and convenient. Most importantly, they can help minimize senior resident safety risks, especially those resulting from ADEs.

Enjoy Your Golden Years to the Fullest

Having to take medicines doesn't mean you can no longer enjoy your golden years. On the contrary, it can help improve your health, provided you follow medication safety guidelines.

So, if you're looking for an assisted living community in Cedarburg, WI, that can help with safe medication use, LakeHouse Cedarburg is a top choice. Our warm, welcoming, pet-friendly community provides tailored medication management through our full-time registered nurse.