Issue 37.12
As seniors age, the complexity of their care and medication regimens typically increase. In turn, the importance of keeping an eye on medication management becomes increasingly important. Many families find in-home care providers either ill-equipped or much too costly to provide medication management in a reliable and cost effective way.
In most assisted living communities, an essential element of personal care services involves the management of self-administered medication. Approximately two-thirds of the residents in a typical assisted living community require some help with their medications.
Typically 35 percent of residents have four to seven prescriptions, and 19 percent have eight or more. These numbers are only growing. With these kinds of numbers it is no wonder why so many seniors are finding it increasingly difficult to follow doctor prescribed orders; especially for those experiencing the early stages of dementia.
Medication management is one of the most common reasons why families encourage their loved one(s) to move into an assisted living community. Many find that their loved one’s health greatly improves after being put on a regimented medication management program offered in most assisted living facilities. Poor medication management can lead to devastating effects to an individual’s overall health and emotional well-being. Assisted living communities provide perhaps the most in-expensive but yet effective platforms for elderly individuals to receive this care.
The Retreat at SunRiver offers an array of personal care services including medication assistance. We invite you to call us any time at 435-256-8900. Our friendly dedicated nursing staff will be glad to point you in the right direction.
For more articles such as this, we invite you to visit our website at: www.SunRiverAssistedLiving.com. We look forward to hearing from you!