There are many things to think about when your loved one is planning on aging in place. You will want to help organize medical care for her/him, work through their finances to insure that they are able to afford the lifestyle they are hoping to lead, discuss adjustments that may need to be made to their home to make sure it is a safe environment and more. One of the most important things that you can help with is to work on developing a medication management system that will work for your loved one.
Medication management is something that older Americans will need to think about as they decide to live independently. One of the most common reasons that older Americans may need a medication management tool is that they are almost always more likely than younger Americans to take multiple medications. This can be very challenging for anyone to keep track of, let alone someone who is living independently and without any daily reminders coming from a partner or spouse.
The good news is that medication management tools exist and range from inexpensive to only slightly more expensive. These tools also range from very simple to mildly complex, but when setup correctly they can be just what your loved one needs to take care of remembering to take her/his medication on time and on the right day. Here are a few suggested tools that you might want to consider when thinking about a medication management strategy for your loved one.
1.) A pill organizer. This analog “smart” tool is perfect if your loved one can maintain some independence on the medication front. Assuming your loved one can remember what day it is, a pill organizer can be as simple or complex as you would like. You could get one that is a single day container that only includes what your loved one needs for that specific day. You can also secure a more complex pill organizer that maintains pills for multiple days for your loved one and is color coded to keep track of the pills that she/he is taking regularly.
2.) Medication reminder apps. Adding a simple and relatively inexpensive app to your loved one’s phone may be just the thing that will help keep them on track with their medications. A simple app that tracks when they will need to take their pills and which pills to take can make all the difference in the world. These apps will pop up notifications so they don’t even have to think about it, they will just be notified and will be able to take the pills at the proper times.
3.) Smart pill dispensers. These devices that will electronically dispense pills and can be connected to a phone will actually allow your loved one to literally not even think about what or when they need to take a pill. The pill will be dispensed at the right time on the right day and since it will be connected to a phone you can monitor intake and insure that she/he is taking the right pill at the right time.
While your loved one may need assistance in remembering when to take medication and how often, etc, it is most important that you and they know which medications they are on and how they might react to each other. When your loved one is prescribed a new medication you should consult with a medical provider to make sure they are aware of the other medications that are being prescribed to insure that there isn’t a chance that any two medications will interact with each other.
As your loved one continues to live independently it will become increasingly more important that you help her/him find the tools that will help them in their aging in place journey without causing them any harm along the way. Medication management is a critical component to the health and well-being of your loved one.