Medication Assistance for People With Mental Decline
People that have trouble remembering their day to day routines may sometimes forget to take their daily medications. Missing medications can lead to serious conditions if they are missed frequently and could lead to hospitalization and higher level of care requirements. Some medications need to be taken as directed, meaning at the same time of day in order to prevent adverse effects. Below we will discuss what are the 5 rights of medication administration as well as tips to help people with memory decline in taking their medications as directed.
What are the 5 rights of medication administration?
Medication administration requires strict diligence with each administration. A family member or caregiver should be in the habit of checking the 5 rights of medication administration whenever administering medication in order to prevent complications. There have been many occurrences of patients getting the wrong medication, the wrong persons medication, the wrong dose of medication, ultimately leading to serious and not serious adverse effects. The 5 rights of medication should be done in this order:
1. Name - Check the name of the person requiring the medication and compare it with label on the medication bottle or blister pack.
2. Medication - Once you have the right name of the person and medication, check with the doctors order to ensure that this person is getting the right medication. Many times, medications look and sound like another medication, so it is crucial to check the proper spelling of the medication as well. For example, diphenhydramine ( ex. Benadryl) and Dimenhydrinate (ex. Gravol) sounds and look very similar, however, they have completely different mechanism of actions in the body.
3. Dosage – Check the doctors order to see what dose is the person to receive right now. Sometimes, patients are to get different doses of medication throughout the day or the next day. For example, a common medication such as Prednisone which is commonly given for inflammation is prescribed to be given with higher dose one day and gradually decreasing dose over the next few days or weeks. In these instances, you must check closely to ensure the dose of the medication is administered as directed.
4. Time – Some medications are important to be given at the right time of the day, and should not just be given when convenient. Doctors and pharmacists will usually specify on the medication as to what time it should be administered to have the best possible affect for the person. For example, the medication Trazadone ( A sleep aide) should not be given in the morning as it is to help people with sleeping, therefore it should be given in the evening. Giving this medication could cause the person to be drowsy in the daytime. Another example is furosemide ( a common diruretic), this medication makes people void off extra fluid retention. Therefore, many times it wont be scheduled to be given past 2pm as it will cause the individual to wake up during the night often to void which would be disruptive to their sleep.
5. Route – Not all medications are to be given orally. Some are given nasally, tropically, subinguinal, etc. Some medications like Fentanyl can be given orally, transdermal or injection. Therefore, always check the orders to ensure the medication is given in the right route.
Why do people with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease need special consideration when it comes to their medication?
People that suffer from memory decline will usually not remember to take their medication for their other health problems. As a result their other conditions will worsen such as diabetes and high blood pressure. These population of people may also double dose their medication, meaning they take an extra dose of the medication in a day. For someone that is on high blood pressure medication or heart medications this could result in them getting too low of a blood pressure and heart rate resulting in them experiencing issues such as dizziness and falls at home. Therefore, all clients that have some level of memory decline need to have medication oversight from a family member, caregiver, pharmacy, nurse on a daily basis in order to prevent complications from medication misses or overdosing.
What can you do to remember to take your medications as directed? Here are some tips to help you remember to take your medications on a regular basis: 1. Use a system to take your medications – A system could be a blister pack medication or medication pill box. Have someone over look your medication before placing in the medication pill boxes to ensure it is done correctly.
2. Document – Use a medication chart or calender to check off when the medication is given each day and ideally the time is written down as well.
3. Check with pharmacy if any confusion with medications. The pharmacy is the expert with all things medication concerning, therefore utilize them as a tool whenever it is needed. They are eager to help! If you make any mistake with administering medications, it is advisable to call the pharmacist for instruction on what to do next.
4. Have some oversee your medication administration – Have a qualified caregiver or family member give your medication when it is due.
5. Timer reminder – If you do not have some available to give you your medication, it is helpful to use a daily reminder on your phone to remind you when it is time for your medication. Some devices are also available that dispense medication and notify you when it is time to be taken which can be super helpful!
Call Modern Day Home Health Care to see if we can help you at 778 – 539 – 5300
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