Seniors who are taking medications daily should be aware that some medications may be in short supply and hard to get. In some cases, prescriptions that need to be refilled and require doctor approval may need to be called in up to a week in advance so that the doctor has time to approve the prescription. This a duty that a home care assistance aide can assist a senior with.
Seniors and their families should be taking these steps to ensure that seniors have access to the medications that they need and that they can get medications in a timely fashion before they run out:
Keep Medications Organized with Home Care Assistance Helping
Keeping medications organized is a very important part of making sure that seniors are able to get the medications that they need. If your senior parent’s medications are organized well it will be easier for you or a home care assistance provider to keep track of what medications are running low and what medications will need new prescriptions. If your senior loved one has home care assistance it’s a good idea to let the home care assistance provider suggest organizational methods that work best for medications. With their experience, they usually have great tips to help seniors and their families stay on top of medications.
Call In Refills On The Same Day Each Week
An easy way to make sure that any refills are done on time is to call in refills on the same day each week. Whether you are calling them in or a home care provider choose one day of the week and each week on that day call the pharmacy and have them refill any medications that are due to run out that week. Once that becomes a habit it will keep the refills being filled on time and avoid your senior loved one from running out of medication.
Use a Calendar System
Another good way to keep track of when medications need to be refilled is to use an old-fashioned calendar system. Simply write each medication that your senior loved one takes in a separate color and write on the calendar when that prescription will run out or when the prescription needs to be called into the doctor to refill. Remember to leave at least a week for any prescriptions that the doctor has to approve so that there’s plenty of time to get that approval before the medication runs out.
Use Alternate Methods To Request Refills
Another option that can speed up the process of getting medication refills as well as leave a paper trail that may be necessary is to use email, text, or other means of refilling prescriptions. Many pharmacies now allow seniors and others to request refills and keep track of their medications in apps for the smartphone can be very convenient for medication management. And sometimes submitting medication refill requests electronically can mean getting the medications faster than you would get them if you call them in. Putting in a little extra effort to organize your senior parent’s medications will save time and hassle in the long run.
If you or an aging loved one is considering Home Care Assistance Services in Baltimore MD please contact the caring staff at Vital Sign Home Care today. (410) 814-0258
A Trusted Skilled Medical and Non-Medical senior home care provider in Annapolis, Arnold, Severn, Guilford, Towson, Brooklandville, Catonsville, Cockeysville, Bel Air, Ellicott City, Columbia MD, and surrounding areas.
Venus had a stroke in 2018, she had no movement on the right side of her body and was unable to speak. Venus has made great progress since then and shows up everyday doing her best. She takes pride in overcoming obstacles and never giving up, which has allowed her to obtain a level of success in healthcare.
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