Posts Tagged ‘Elder Home Care’
How To Dodge Medication Problems In The Elderly Phoenix AZ
10 Tips To Dodge Medication Problems In The Elderly Phoenix AZ
Avoiding Prescription Errors
A lot of senior citizens take multiple medications, which may increases the likelihood of prescription mistakes. Here’s a number of terrific recommendations for elders to lessen the chance of making an error with their prescriptions:
1. Check the label when you pick up a medication to confirm that you have the right medicine. Read back the prescription to your doctor and pharmacist.
2. Keep all prescription in original containers.
3. Contact your medical professional or pharmacist if you have any questions about dosage.
4. Be sure to fill your medications at the same pharmacy.
5. Read the patient information sheet that comes with your medication.
6. Call the pharmacist immediately if there is a change in the color, size, shape or smell of your medication.
7. You should not take or share another person’s prescriptions.
8. If you are in doubt about a medication you are taking, consult your doctor and pharmacist. Always ask about side effects that you experience or expect.
9. Construct a list of the medications you are taking and share with your CareGiver and family members. The list ought to include the following information:
- Your full name, social security number and date of birth. The Pharmacy needs this information if the caregiver is going to refill the medication without the client there. Social security number and date of birth should be kept on a different sheet of paper to defend against identity theft.
- Medication name (the drugs being taken, both generic and brand)
- The strength (dosage)
- The directions for taking the medication, including frequency and what time of day medication should be taken
- What liquids or foods are being used to take or should be used to take with meds, for example, water, juice, apple sauce etc.
- Allergies to certain medicines and foods
- Pharmacy and health care providers names, addresses, phone number
- Family contact information
10. When in skilled nursing or a hospital:
- State your name before taking any meds and always show your wrist bracelet for identification. Ask the nurse or doctor to identify each medication by name before you take it.
- Ask your nurse why your medicine has not been given at its customary time during your hospital stay.
If your medication was started in the hospital, watch for new side effects. If you experience new side effects or your condition is not improving as it should, tell your doctor or nurse. From time to time prescriptions need to be changed when they are not performing properly.
Be sure to ask the doctor how long a particular prescriptions will be required. Oft times prescriptions are added in the hospital for a short term problem, but when you leave the hospital for skilled nursing or your home, the prescription remains. Another doctor may be reluctant to change or stop a prescription from another doctor.
- Remind your physician if you have any allergies to certain prescriptions and food, or if you also have a condition that may possibly affect the use of certain meds.
1. Tell your doctor if you are taking any dietary supplements or over-the-counter meds.
2. Make sure your CareGiver has a current medication log listing all prescriptions, Doctor’s name, and Pharmacy.
Make sure to only take prescriptions that you really need and confirm with your doctor why you are taking it, how long you could need it, what side effects to watch for, and that it is not going to conflict with any other meds you are taking.
In the Phoenix area Care-To-Go, an in-home care agency can assist
you with your prescription organization. Care-To-Go also provides
complete in-home care elder services. Contact Care-To-Go at
www.Care-To-Go.com and for an Elder Travel Companion CareToGoTravel.com
7 Signs It Is About Time To Fire A Doctor Reported By A Phoenix CareGiver
7 Signs It Is About Time To Fire A Doctor Reported By A Phoenix CareGiver
What should you if the medical doctor doesn’t listen to you, or not honoring your needs relating to treatment and drug choices, or suggesting medicines or treatments that appear inappropriate for much older patients. Listed here are several examples.
The connection with the medical professional is a vital one and has to be taken seriously. All to often seniors aren’t receiving adequate care and attention from their medical doctor. Is the physician too busy and scheduled to tightly, or there just may be a personality mismatch. In this case don’t be afraid to shop for a different one if you believe you are not receiving the attention and care you deserve.
When the elderly go to their medical professional it truly is a great plan to take along an advocate, a family member or a professional CareGiver. It will serve you well to have someone else there to make sure you understand everything the medical professional is saying and if you need to get more complete information from the doctor, the advocate can facilitate. Now and then it is a lot easier for the someone else to ask in depth questions.
By way of example a medical doctor may try to make you feel guilty when you ask to take away a medicine or a procedure from your regimen. You may have prescriptions from a number of doctors and they may conflict with each other. Doctors may be hesitant to change or stop a prescription prescribed by another physician.
Sometimes the problem doesn’t lie within your power; what is wrong is that the health professional isn’t listening to you or not taking your loved one’s age or situation into account when making medication and treatment decisions. In many cases, it’s like a bad relationship; communication has broken down and you, your family member or CareGiver aren’t getting what you need.
Here are the 7 indicators it may be time to "break up" with your health professional:
1. You feel the medical professional blames, ignores, or criticizes you or the person in your care
2. The health professional doesn’t act in response to your feedback, or becomes unpleasant or defensive
3. It seems the health professional isn’t taking your pain or other symptoms seriously enough
4. You discover treatments that can help that the medical doctor hasn’t told you about
5. The medical doctor doesn’t explain treatment options clearly, resulting in mistakes
6. The medical professional prescribes medications without comparing to medications prescribed by another doctor.
7. The physician is reluctant to organize your prescription inventory when it comes from many different other medical doctors.
When you are dissatisfied, your best bet is to change your doctor, and change to one you can work with to provide the best care. Physicians regularly say that if a patient is going to change doctors, they’d appreciate hearing it directly rather than suddenly receiving a sneak request for medical records to be sent to another health professional. However, it’s your prerogative to find a new doctor and ask the staff to fax over the request for records. You’re not obligated to engage in another confrontation.
Either way, you’ll breathe a sigh of relief once you’re dealing with a health professional who listens respectfully, answers your questions, accommodates your requests, takes your symptoms seriously, and works with you to develop a treatment plan you can all feel good about.
In the Phoenix, AZ area Care-To-Go offers Elder Home Care services and can assist you with doctor appointments and prescription organization. Contact Care-To-Go at 1-800-818-0407 or Care-To.Go.com For Elder Travel Companion services see CareToGoTravel.com.