After seniors head home from a hospital stay, they may have to navigate some changes to their medication plan. What this can mean is that sometimes seniors aren’t prepared for how to handle new medication routines safely. Hospital to home transition care experts can offer family caregivers and aging adults the help they need to stay safe with their medications.
Understand Any New Medications
Often after their time in the hospital, seniors are taking new medications or new dosages of medications they’ve taken before. They need to have a solid understanding of what medications they’re taking and why, as well as what side effects to watch for as they continue to recover. Family caregivers and seniors also need to know what interactions might be possible along with dosage schedules.
Organize Medications Well
Proper organization can make all of this so much easier for families to navigate. Pill organizers are a great option for seniors who take medications at multiple times per day. What matters most is that seniors and family caregivers know where the medications are and how to administer them. Keeping medications organized reduces the possibility of mistakes.
Use Alarms and Timers
Many of the medications that seniors need to take after a hospital stay require a solid schedule. Alarms and timers can be very helpful for seniors to remind them to take their medications on time. Recurring alarms, particularly ones on a smartphone or tablet, can be highly customized, including reminders of the medication name along with the time the medication needs to be taken. Elder care providers can also help seniors remember when it’s time to take medications, while also offering reminders about taking medications with food or according to other essential instructions.
Find a System for Medication Refills
A solid system for keeping up with medication refills can also save time and energy for family caregivers. When seniors have to take multiple medications, it’s not always easy to stay on top of which prescriptions need to be filled and when. Hospital to home transition care experts can work with family caregivers to figure out the best way to accomplish this task.
Make Sure Family Caregivers Get Support
As much as seniors need to adjust to their changing needs after a hospital stay, family caregivers face some big changes, too. Schedules and routines that they might have relied on for a long time may be markedly different due to their senior’s hospitalization. Having access to support afterward, like experienced home care providers, makes it a lot easier to keep up with medication changes and other challenges. This assistance allows family caregivers to feel less alone and also helps them to take time away when they need to.
Medication safety after a hospital stay involves a lot of moving pieces, including helping seniors adjust to new medications and ensuring that they have support to take medications consistently. Hospital to home transition care experts understand how complicated this can feel to seniors and family caregivers, so they can be there to offer assistance and advice along the way.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Hospital to Home Transition Services in Rockville Center NY, please contact the caring staff at Star Multi Care today. Call (631) 424-7827
Star Multi Care is a Trusted Home Care Agency serving Long Island and in NYC including Dix Hills, Floral Park, Great Neck, Huntington, Manhasset, Massapequa, Northport, Plainview, Rockville Center, Stony Brook, Suffolk County, Nassau County, and Queens County.
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