Medications are essential for aging adults to manage their health conditions. However, most of them come with side effects that are discomforting for aging adults. Some of these side effects are mostly seen as a sign of getting old. According to some research, over 70% of people above 65 experience a medication side effect within six months. These side effects must be managed and reduced to prevent further damage to their overall well-being.
Below are some ways assisted living in Apex, NC, helps your loved ones reduce the side effects of medications:
Professional Medication Management
Retirement communities are focused on medication management to help your loved one live healthily. This includes knowing all their medications, their respective doses, and the number of times they need to be taken. This list includes vitamins, herbal supplements, and over-the-counter drugs.
If your loved one has different doctors, they also note down each doctor’s prescription and what the medication treats. To make medication management more effective, these communities focus on over-the-counter drugs your loved one uses.
Help to Read and Understand Medication Labels
Reading the medication label is essential, as it helps them understand dosages, interactions, and side effects. The medication label is essential for both prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs. These labels help your loved one know when to take the medication and how to take it. This is especially important for new medications.
It can be challenging for aging adults to read and understand the medication labels. However, team members in these communities can help your loved one read and understand the medication label. This allows them to know the side effect of the medication and drug interactions that can trigger unwanted problems. In addition, there are doctors available if your loved one has questions.
Help Identify Potential Drug Interactions
Aside from reading the medication labels, doctors in these communities can offer advice on medications and supplements that shouldn’t be taken together, or that have effects if taken together. Doctors have more medical knowledge and will help your loved one know the potential side effects of any medications.
Once the doctor notices a harmful drug interaction and medications with adverse side effects, they will be instantly removed and replaced with a safer alternative medication. This is due to the fact your loved one might be unable to cope with the side effect, or the side effect may be too serious for their condition.
Alternative Treatment Options
As mentioned earlier, doctors in these communities can advise a change in treatment plan once they notice the effect on your loved one. The doctor will consider other medications that are more appropriate for your loved one. Since the medications are duly evaluated, they won’t pose any health risk for your loved one.
However, not all medications have side effects, and some produce side effects that can be easily managed. In either case, the most important thing is your loved one needs to communicate any side effects they experience, in order to manage the condition earlier. Team members in these communities closely monitor your loved one’s medication, so identifying the side effect earlier won’t be a problem.
