Medication misuse comes in two different forms: accidental and intentional. Both can be incredibly dangerous. If you take medication, or have a loved one that does, understanding what this is and how to spot it can be very helpful.
Taking medication incorrectly can lead to health issues. The things that were supposed to be treated by medication can become worse, or new issues can be created.
Accidental medication misuse can happen for several reasons, but one of the more common catalysts here is dementia. When someone begins to have problems with memory and cognitive functioning, forgetting to take medication, or forgetting that it was already taken and taking too much, can become a lot more likely. Unfortunately, a lot of people see this happen when they are in the early stages of dementia. One of the easiest ways to prevent this is to have an extra set of eyes and hands helping someone out around the house so that this becomes less likely to happen.
High quality care should include better monitoring of medication. This is often one of the duties of a caregiver, so communication regarding correct dosages is important. The caregiver is just one part of an overall team.
And while in-home caregivers are not medical professionals or capable of prescribing medication, there is something to be said for having a caregiver that knows what they are doing having an eye on medication on a daily (or regular) basis. Counting medications, knowing how many pills should still be in the bottle, and ensuring that refills are obtained in a timely manner can be the difference between a healthy senior citizen and one that is facing difficulty because they have not handled their medications correctly. Unfortunately, this is a common issue for many, but it’s one that can have an easy solution.
The caregiver service that you select matters. Not all caregivers are equal. Some have extensive training, including medication management, while some don’t. Some caregivers are backed by the support of a professional organization, while others are independent. While many independent caregivers are very good, they don’t come with the backing guarantee of a caregiver service, like what we have here at Paradise In-Home Care.
Your family deserves the best. That’s why we provide our caregivers with training, make sure that they are insured and bonded, and provide background checks on each one of our employees long before they are ever in your home, providing assistance to the people that you love. You deserve the peace of mind that comes with the top professionals in the business.
If you have questions about senior care and how it might help your family live a higher quality of life, please let us know. One of our caregivers would be happy to talk more about what we do and how it might benefit those you care about. We provide free consultation sessions and would be happy to help your family figure out what will work best. If it’s not in-home care, we’ll gladly get you pointed in the right direction. There’s no cost or obligation on your part to get started.
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