Medication Management

As people age and medications increase it is becoming more and more difficult to keep them straight and to remember when to take them. This coupled with the pills changing shapes, colors, and sizes can add to the confusion. If you know of someone who is having difficulties, here are a few suggestions:

• When my mom was having difficulty remembering to take her medications I used an automated phone call service called MYCALLS.NET. The system will deliver an automated call, with your voice on it, at the time and day you wish. You can view your account to make sure the call was delivered. The site is a little cumbersome to work through, but is very reliable and cost effective.
• Your pharmacist can put on the label what the medication is used for. This is helpful when the pills change shapes, size, and color.
• Ask your pharmacist if they can "bubble pack" the pills. This method groups dosages on a card - morning, afternoon, and evenings. You punch them out based on when they are to be taken. This provides a visual cue to make sure they were taken.
• The weekly containers work well also, provided there are no memory issues. People with confusion may not recall what day it is, resulting in overdosing.

If dementia is involved, I highly recommend locking up medications and leaving out only the daily dosage. Usually what happens is they will take the pills they need, but then will forget they already have taken them and will seek out more resulting in overdosing.

Selecting A Home Care Agency

For many families choosing a home care agency can be an overwhelming experience. Today there are more choices for the consumers than ever before. When we started our service six years ago there were three agencies; today there are 15 or more with only 4 being franchise operations. Most consumers are not aware that this industry is NOT regulated. Licensing is not required by the state and there is no oversight. With a franchise there is oversight by a corporate office and recourse if there are problems.

If a family does not ask the right questions, they can end up making a huge mistake. For families considering home care, I've provided a link below to AARP that can help you with the questions to ask.
http://www.aarp.org/families/caregiving/caring_help/a2004-11-30-agency.html

Falling and balance issues

A common concern people have is about their elderly parents falling. There are two approaches to look at. The first is, has this come on quickly? If so, it could be the result of a medication change or mix up/over medication, could be the start of a UTI (urinary tract infection) or ear infection. Secondly, if this has came on slowly it could be a decline in nutrition or physical health.

The point is, that falling should not be considered a normal part of aging. With some investigative work the root cause can be found.

In any case, a "push the button for help unit" is the first thing to have in place to insure safety. Check the items listed above, sometimes it can be a multiple causes.

Are You A Stressed Family CareGiver?

What is keeping you up at night when it comes to caring for a loved one?

• Medication management
• Hygiene / Bathing
• Memory
• Driving
• Meals / Nutrition
• Safety?

Let me know!!