A Practical Guide to Medication Management for Elderly Adults

As you age, you may find yourself managing several health conditions — and medications — at once. Medication management for elderly adults is important to maintain good health, but it can be a complex process. Merck reports that 90% of older adults have at least one regular prescription, and up to 36% are prescribed five or more medications.

Keeping track of multiple medications and dosage schedules can be a significant challenge for seniors, which is why medication management often falls to caregivers. Here's how to support seniors and ensure they take their prescriptions as directed.

Understanding the Challenges of Medication Management in Seniors

Aging typically comes with two related challenges: an increase in medical conditions and in the medications prescribed to manage them. It can be hard to remember to take a new medication, regardless of your age. But certain age-related changes can make medication management more difficult. These include:

• Cognitive Decline. Decreased short-term memory, confusion or dementia
• Changes in Vision. Inability to read small print or notice subtle differences between similar bottles, colors or pills
• Dexterity Challenges. Trouble opening bottles or picking up a single, small pill
• Medication Reactions. A medication may lose its effectiveness over time, or you may experience an adverse effect to a new medication

Medications prescribed to improve quality of life and maintain your health are ineffective unless the right dose is taken at the right time. Improper medication use can increase risk of:

• Medication Interference. Also called drug interaction, this happens when a drug's effect is altered by another substance or a medical condition. This can potentially cause unwanted side effects or reduced drug effectiveness.
• Bad Reactions to Medication. This can happen due to incorrect dosages, drug allergies or drug interference.

Both of these can lead to higher hospitalization rates and decreased enjoyment and quality of life, making proper medication management a vital part of caregiving.

Medication Management Examples

Medication management will look different from person to person, depending on their preferences. To be effective, it's important to find a method that works well for the person whose medicine you're managing. Let's look at a couple of examples of how you could manage medication using different methods.

Color-coded pill organizers

A color-coded pill organizer is a container designed to help you manage medications. You can sort pills into compartments based on your medication schedule (day of the week and/or time of day). Color-coded compartments can make it easier to identify which pills need to be taken and when.

This is an ideal solution for seniors with mild cognitive impairment or early dementia who may struggle with remembering their medication schedule. Creating a straightforward medication routine can prevent confusion — especially for people taking multiple medications a day —reinforce a consistent habit and allow seniors to maintain their independence.

Automatic pill dispensers

Automatic pill dispensers are also designed to help you take the right medication at the right time. They automatically dispense pre-sorted doses at specific time intervals, alerting you with a sound, flashing light or other alarm. These devices typically come with locking mechanisms to prevent extra or incorrect doses. Some advanced models even have smart features, such as notifications to users and/or caregivers via a mobile app.

These are a good option for seniors with memory issues or complex medication regimes. They can also be helpful for busy caregivers managing a loved one’s medication or independent seniors who want to simplify their medication schedule while reducing the risk of missed or extra doses.

Medication Management Tools for Older Adults

The training that health care professionals receive on managing medications can be useful to help your loved one at home. During training, nurses are taught the five rights of medication use. These include:

1. Right patient
2. Right drug
3. Right time
4. Right dose
5. Right route (method of delivery)

A good at-home medication management tool can make it easier to stay on top of these five priorities . This list of tools can help keep medications organized and help seniors take the right medication in the right dose at the right time:

• Pill Organizers. A low-tech yet effective option for many seniors is a simple colored pill box that you fill either weekly or daily with pills to take at the appropriate times. This is well-suited to more independent seniors with high cognitive function and memory skills.
• Blister Packs: Your pharmacy may be able to package your prescriptions into individual pockets that simply require you to find the right day and time and pop out the pills. However, managing blister packs effectively requires good hand dexterity.
• Medication Reminder Apps. Smartphone apps can be downloaded to multiple devices and set up with reminder alerts that signal to seniors or caregivers when to take medications. This can be a good option for seniors who are comfortable using technology, but who may have a hard time tracking medication timing.
• Automatic Pill Dispensers. Automated pill dispensers are typically set up by a loved one or caregiver. The pills are stored inside of the dispenser and automatically dispensed at a pre-set time. A light or sound may signal that it's time to take the medication. Some devices can be linked to a mobile app, so a loved one can see if the medication was taken or needs to be refilled. These work well for seniors who need accountability or reminders to take pills.
• Telehealth check-ins. Telehealth offers regular appointments to check in and confirm medications were taken. This can be helpful for accountability and support with medication management.

No matter what tools you use, make sure you check in regularly with your loved one's doctor or pharmacist. Talk about which medications they're taking, ways you can make their medication plan easier and what potential interactions there may be with food or other medications.

How to Get Dementia Patients to Take Pills

Someone with dementia may be resistant to taking medications, but there is often a reason. Try to see the situation from their perspective. They might be communicating:

• Pills are hard to swallow
• Medications taste bad
• They don't feel well after taking a medication
• Confusion about taking pills
• Feeling pressured or forced to take pills

Once you identify a reason for their resistance to taking a medication, use these steps to find a solution:

1. Create a routine for taking medications so they know when to expect it.
2. Stay relaxed and calm during the process so you don't agitate or upset them.
3. Clearly explain what you're doing as you're doing it and how they can help you.
4. Remove pills from bottles and administer them one at a time.
5. If swallowing pills is an issue, ask a doctor about alternatives such as liquids.
6. Be patient and encouraging.
7. If it's not working, take a break and try again in 10 or 15 minutes.

Managing medications for a person with dementia can be challenging, but patience and understanding can make the process smoother. Listen to your loved one, and do what works best for them. If you need support, reach out to a health care professional for additional guidance.

Other Tips for a Safe Medication Environment

Try to keep medication management as simple as possible. If your loved one already has a system in place that works for them, don't try to change it. Instead, look for ways to support them and remove potential hazards. For example, if your parent has always kept their pills in a certain place, don't move them. This can create confusion, anger or missed doses. Instead, look for ways to keep them safe, such as keeping medications separate with instructions nearby.

Other tips include:

• Make a list of all current medications.
• Dispose of expired or unnecessary medications.
• Review your loved one's medication list with a health provider regularly to keep medications up to date.
• Make sure medications are easy to find and access.

Create an Effective Medication Management Process

Managing an elderly parent or loved one's prescriptions can be challenging, but you're not alone. Ask health care providers and pharmacists for guidance with proper medication management so you feel confident and supported as you create a process. Although safe medication management for elderly adults is complex, many solutions are available to give you peace of mind.

BrightStar Care^® Can Help You Navigate Medication Management

BrightStar Care caregivers can help with setting up a medication system that works for your unique situation. Whether you're looking for in-home care services or assisted living for your loved one or a reliable medical staffing partner for your organization, our experienced local care team members are ready to help. Find a location near you, contact us online or call (866) 618-7827 to learn more about how BrightStar Care offers A Higher Standard^®