Senior home care helps prevent dangerous medication interactions at home

Home is where comfort, independence, and familiarity exist for millions of older adults aging in place. But one of the biggest health risks for seniors is medication interactions, which are often hidden in bathroom cabinets and kitchen drawers. Most older people take five or more prescription drugs every day, and that number goes up even more when over-the-counter medications and supplements are included.

Understanding this, it’s easy to see why there is a growing concern over medication interactions. The good news is that senior home care can help keep medications organized and help seniors reduce their risk.

Why Medication Interactions Are So Common Among Seniors

There are many changes that take place with age, including how the body processes medications. As one gets older, the kidneys and liver naturally slow down, which makes it take longer for medications to be broken down and eliminated from the body. In other words, a dose that is normal for a younger adult can build up to dangerous levels in an older adult.

Another reason medication interactions are common among seniors is that many see more than one doctor, such as a cardiologist, a rheumatologist, or a primary care physician. Each of these doctors may prescribe medications without knowing what the others have prescribed. This lack of coordination in care makes it easy for drug interactions to go unnoticed.

Common side effects include dizziness, falls, internal bleeding, cognitive decline, and, in severe cases, hospitalization. However, with senior home care by their side, many of these things can be avoided.

How Senior Home Care Helps

One of the many ways that skilled senior home care providers help minimize medication interactions is by keeping pill boxes organized, setting reminders, updating the medication list, and ensuring seniors take their medications with them when they go to appointments or to the pharmacy.

They also keep a close eye on warning signs of an interaction, such as unusual sleepiness, changes in appetite, confusion, or physical complaints that seem to come out of nowhere. Additionally, when a new prescription is added, they look for possible problems and create a schedule that helps to avoid them, such as making sure that medications that should be taken with food are taken at meals.

Without the consistent support from senior home care, seniors might take too many doses, stop taking their medications too soon, or mix supplements with prescriptions that don’t work well together.

Peace of Mind and Confidence

For adult children and other loved ones, concerns about medications can increase with every diagnosis and new prescription. Knowing that a trained professional is monitoring for issues gives them valuable peace of mind.

For the seniors themselves, they gain confidence that they’re doing all they can to remain healthy and that if anything were to happen, they would get assistance right away thanks to having a caregiver by their side.

Senior home care is a key component to helping seniors age in place, especially when it comes to keeping their medications organized and helping them avoid dangerous interactions.

If you or an aging loved one is considering Senior Home Care in La Crescenta, CA, please contact the caring staff at Nu Care Inc. today. 800-505-6890

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