How Senior Medication Management Prevents Hospitalization

Many seniors admit that they frequently make mistakes with medication management. Imagine a senior living independently while taking five or six medicines daily with differing doses and schedules. One missed pill or a wrong combination of pills can be enough to turn a quiet morning into an emergency room visit. 

That’s why senior medication management services from agencies like Nurse Next Door McLean are so important. If there’s someone monitoring what medication a senior is taking, the odds of hospitalization drop significantly. Seniors can enjoy a better quality of life with improved safety. Medication management services become increasingly important for us as we age. In this article, we’ll explore how senior medication management can prevent hospitalization among seniors.

5 Benefits of In-Home Medication Management for Seniors

Why Medication Mistakes Are Common in Seniors

Over 88% of seniors in the US take prescription medication. Seniors often have multiple conditions: high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, heart disease. All of these are very common conditions in seniors. That means seniors are commonly taking multiple medications everyday – a phenomenon known as polypharmacy. 

How Senior Medication Management Prevents Hospitalization

Medication management services for seniors go further than just reminders. It helps prevent potentially lethal mistakes and drug interactions. Besides this, it ensures seniors don’t end up in the ER with severe complications as a result of missing or skipping doses. 

Improves Medication Adherence

Many seniors take the wrong pill or forget to take the prescribed pills simply because they can’t deal with so many medications on a daily basis at that age. When there’s someone helping with senior medication management, there are fewer skipped doses, and minimized risk of BP and blood sugar level spikes. 

Prevents Double Dosing and Missed Doses

If a senior ends up taking twice the prescribed dose of one prescribed pill while skipping another, the results can be disastrous. An overdose can be even more harmful sometimes than a missed dose. A medication management service can prevent both.

Assisting with Adjusting the Dosage 

Registered Nurses (RNs) providing senior medication management services monitor the client’s vitals like blood pressure and blood sugar levels. If either of these are beyond the normal range, they get in touch with the primary doctor to adjust the dosage. 

Supports Chronic Disease Management at Home

People with heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, asthma, and COPD find themselves in a hospital every now and then. Those with multiple and long-term medications may struggle to adhere to the prescribed medicines. In-home medication management for seniors can solve this problem. 

Reduces Confusion Around New Medications

Whenever a doctor gives an elderly patient a new prescription, or a changed dose, or discontinues a certain medication, there’s a high chance that the patient might forget it and stick to their old orders because they’re used to them. In such cases, a medication management service acts as a coordinator – ensuring adherence to the new prescription and educating the senior and family. That clarity results in fewer errors and fewer hospital admissions.

Helps Monitor Side Effects and Early Warning Signs

With an expert, like a Registered Nurse (RN) from Nurse Next Door McLean, to oversee medication administration and management for an elderly patient, side effects easily get caught and mitigated early. A medication management service can effectively minimize the risk of hospitalization.

Consider Nurse Next Door McLean’s Medication Management Services

We have designed our services with seniors’ common medication schedules and their usual needs in mind. We understand that seniors often need daily reminders and they’ll need help setting up their schedule in a way that they don’t end up missing one of their medications by mistake. 

Nurse Next Door McLean’s Registered Nurses (RNs) provide medication administration to those who need assistance with taking pills or other types of medications. Besides this, they monitor the client’s vitals such as blood sugar levels and blood pressure, and reach out to the primary doctor if adjustments are needed. We even educate the client and their family about administering medications according to the doctor’s orders. 

Call Nurse Next door McLean at (703) 774-9421 to manage medications at home. With a unique and personalized approach, our Registered Nurses (RNs) help seniors prevent hospitalization and stay healthy at home.