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National Check Your Meds Day is observed annually on October 21. This day is a reminder of the importance of taking medications to maintain health. It’s also an ideal time to review current medications with the pharmacist. Here’s more on the significance of this day.
What is the importance of medications?
Medications are crucial to functioning well or preventing dying at an early age. Taking the right dose at the right time is necessary to control existing symptoms of disease. Adhering to a medication schedule not only improves quality of life but saves lives.
How many drugs do seniors take?
Older adults take more medications than younger people. This is because seniors are more likely to suffer from chronic ailments, such as diabetes, arthritis, or high blood pressure. When seniors live with a chronic disease, they may take medications for several years.
About 90 percent of seniors take at least one prescription medication regularly. Nearly 80 percent of older people take two or more drugs on a routine basis. A smaller percentage of seniors, about 36 percent, take five or more different prescription medications.
These percentages increase exponentially when dietary supplements and over-the-counter medicines are included in the mix of drugs seniors take, whether short-term or long-term. The most medications are taken by older people who are hospitalized, suffer frailty, or reside in nursing facilities.
What is the significance of National Check Your Meds Day?
Since many Americans take prescription medications to maintain their health and quality of life, the US Department of Health and Human Services started National Check Your Meds Day. This day is intended for people to review their current medications to ensure necessity and safety.
The risk of drug interaction is commonplace, considering the large number of medications aging people are prescribed. Every National Check Your Meds Day is a great time to check that any medications that older adults take are correctly dosed, current, and have not expired.
Celebrating National Check Your Meds Day is done in part by learning more about prescription medications, their side effects, and potential interactions with other drugs. Being aware of these factors can improve health and even serve as a lifesaving measure.
Seniors are encouraged to celebrate this day by bringing their prescription medications, supplements, and over-the-counter drugs to their local pharmacy for an assessment. Doing so decreases the risk of improper drug use that can cause severe health repercussions or death.
Older adults remain proactive about their health when they participate in National Check Your Meds Day ever year. A more robust relationship is built between elderly patients and their pharmacists. This in turn promotes better health management in the lives of aging people.
How do seniors celebrate National Check Your Meds Day?
1. Hold a Drug Scavenger Hunt
While this day has serious health goals, older adults can infuse fun into it. Hold a medication scavenger hunt, for instance. Hunt for all the medications in the medicine cabinet or elsewhere and line them up. Seniors should treat themselves for each drug that is still in its prime.
2. Create Medication Flashcards
Make learning about drugs fun by creating medication flashcards. Jot the name of each drug as well as their side effects, the roles they play in health, and their strengths. Seniors can take the quiz themselves or play with a friend. Learning about health becomes enjoyable.
3. Enjoy Medication Happy Hour
Chat with the pharmacist or doctor on this important day. Discuss medications and ask questions, like “Can I stop taking this medication now that I’m feeling better?” or “Is it okay to take a half dose or miss a dose since this medication is expensive?”
4. Spread the Word
Upon learning facts about their medications, seniors can share their newfound knowledge with others on this day. Friends and families can benefit from the medication safety tips their aging loved ones glean. Seniors who share what they learn inspire others to be proactive about their health, too.
5. Reflect and Toss
Go through the medicine cabinet and sort out the expired bottles. Before discarding them, reflect on the health benefits they delivered. Then dispose of them safely at a pharmacy that has an onsite medicine drop-off box or a mail-back program. Some drugs can be tossed into the trash or flushed.
National Check Your Meds Day is an ideal time for seniors to ensure they are taking their drugs in the right way, in the right dose, at the right time, and at the right frequency. It’s important for seniors to continue their medication regimen even when feeling better.
Skipping doses, stopping a drug without discussing it with a healthcare provider, and taking more or less than prescribed are not advised. Plus, it can be hard for seniors to remember to take their drugs, especially when are prescribed so many. Assisting Hands Home Care can be invaluable.
We offer reliable senior home care services, which include timely medication reminders. We establish a schedule so that the elderly care recipient takes their medications on time each day. Some medications must be taken with food, which we provide through our healthy meal prep services.
Our caregivers keep aging adults compliant with their medication regimen. If drug side effects become bothersome, we provide transportation to the medical office so that the senior can discuss making adjustments with their doctor. We also drive seniors to the pharmacy to pick up medications.
Included in our senior home care services are help with hygiene tasks, grocery shopping, and light housekeeping. We’re also pleasant companions who prevent seniors from feeling lonely and isolated with socially stimulating games, outings, conversations, and the pursuit of hobbies.
When your aging loved one could use extra support at home, companion care from Assisting Hands Home Care is the solution. We serve seniors in Burleson, Cleburne, Mansfield, Midlothian, Waxahachie, Texas, with dedication. Call us at (817) 592-8843 to schedule a complimentary in-home consultation and explore the ways senior home care enhances quality of life.
