What is Medication Management for Seniors?

 

This article dives deep into what medication management is for seniors, which would help in adequate provision of client services. Ideally, medication management is an outpatient treatment level that evaluates psychotropic services. Majority of seniors have common chronic conditions, which means they need constant care and supply of medications. Sometimes, older adults may mix-up medications, mainly It is essential that a caregiver understands the purpose of each medication. A medication management psychiatrist ensures that seniors track their medical therapy, any complications, and harmful medications. That said, it is essential to correctly manage a senior’s medication to ensure effective care plan for the client.

Why is Medication Management Important for Seniors?

More often than not, you may question whether you need medication or whether your condition is chronic enough for medication management. Well, it’s even much more challenging for seniors because they have several medications, supplements, and vitamins that they need to get at regular intervals. For the longest time, medication management has helped to mitigate risks of complications by constantly monitoring the senior’s health. Below are reasons why medication management is important for seniors.

Ø  Most seniors suffer from memory loss which makes it challenging to remember to take medication. Sometimes they may even double dose, which could affect their health

Ø  Most seniors may incorrectly read instructions from prescriptions due to poor eyesight. Others may not follow them properly because of confusion.

How Does Medication Management Work?

Medication management requires that both parties (the provider and the senior) decide that medication is the right option. Once this is out of the way, then the senior's treatment starts- the physician mostly starts with small doses and progresses to larger doses depending on how the patient responds. In most cases, the provider monitors the mental and physical well-being of the senior- any bad reaction to the medication causes discontinuation. In addition, medication management paves way for therapeutic intervention. Of course, it can get frustrating if you have no idea how medication management works, especially when you have a senior who is in dire need of help. At Quality Life Services, we have knowledgeable and well- trained providers that lead you throughout the medication management process.

Benefits of Medication Management for Seniors

Medication management is pretty challenging to manage. However, there are benefits that come with proper MD management for seniors. Below is a list of some of these benefits.

·         MD management ultimately reduces the number of hospital admissions.

Quite often, there would be cases of people succumbing to injuries due to improper medication. In fact, about 1.3 million cases of people being injured were reported over the past years. For seniors, medication errors happen quite often, ultimately causing adverse effects and leading to hospitalization. MD management minimizes such errors thereby ensuring less hospital admissions. Also, seniors are educated on how and when to take their medications, and food or substances they should avoid that may potentially cause reactions.

·         Medication management allows seniors to personalize their medication thus enhancing collaboration between caregivers, providers and these patients. MD management provides a comprehensive list of the patient, taking into account their lifestyle, environment, and health. Rarely will you find that two seniors have the same type of medication schedule, this is because every individual is influenced by different factors. At Quality Life Services, we provide md management services that are unique to you, allowing flexibility and great collaboration with everyone involved in the care of the senior.

·         MD management is convenient. As stated earlier, md management provides a comprehensive list of the medications, the time to take them, and instructions to ensure proper administration. The senior may not be frustrated with taking medication instructions from two or more different practitioners. Seniors are already going through a lot, especially because they are often sickly. Md management provides convenience, ultimately improving their health outcomes.

·         Medication management reduces side effects. Seniors are constantly interacting with different drugs. Quality of Life reviews the drugs you take, how they interact with each other, and how they interact with your system, thus mitigating side effects.

Preparing for Medication Management Services

Sometimes, a senior may need to meet with the provider to discuss their progress. Quality Life Services does routine meetups with seniors to know whether the medication recommended is working and provides necessary suggestions. The list below shows several steps you can take to prepare for medication management services.

1.      Open Communication. It is natural to shy away from expressing how exactly you feel, especially to healthcare providers. That said, any accurate diagnosis and chronic disease management requires openness. The practitioner may ask sensitive questions, but they help them understand your health better so as to provide solutions that may alleviate pain and restore your health. Quality Life Services gives you an opportunity to freely express yourself and preserves your privacy.

2.      Identify the Right Medication. Preparing for md management services involves making a list of medications and supplements you take to ensure the medical provider has enough information about your current status.

3.      Ask questions. It is quite common to leave a facility not having asked the questions you intended to. While preparing for your md management services, you may make a list of questions you hope to ask, while also raising any concerns you are experiencing.