Your dad is getting older and he has a few chronic health conditions that he’s managing with prescription medications, diet, and exercise. You stop in to check on him each weekend, but you’re starting to wonder if you’re doing enough to make sure he’s taking care of himself. Here are a few questions to consider and how senior home care can help ensure your parent’s safety.
How Is He Supposed to Take Them?
Some medications are taken with a glass of milk to prevent nausea or stomach upset. Some have to be taken on an empty stomach. Your dad has to keep track of that and make sure he’s following recommendations. If he doesn’t, some medications may break down in his bloodstream too quickly or not quickly enough.
Make sure your dad has someone to help him read the guidelines on how he is supposed to take his medications. If he doesn’t understand something, he should call and talk to his doctor for advice.
If he needs a meal, it’s worth arranging senior home care. His caregiver can have a meal ready for him when it’s time to take his pills.
Does He Order Refills in Time?
When your dad’s prescription is running out, does he order prescription refills in time? If he’s always running out and then calling his pharmacist, he could run into issues with there being a gap before the prescription is ready.
If his pharmacist is waiting for a new stock of something like insulin, your dad could end up without having any insulin for days. That’s not ideal. He needs to order refills around a week before he’s going to run out. If his prescription has to be approved by his doctor first, that also takes time.
He may need senior home care to help him stay organized and order his refills in time. If he struggles to use an online refill ordering system, his caregiver can help him.
How Often Does He Take Them?
How often should your dad take his medications? Are they daily pills or weekly injections? Does he have to take pills several times a day at specific intervals? All of this has to be carefully timed, especially with medications like antidepressants where the goal is to keep a stabilized level of medication in the bloodstream all day and night.
A pill organizer that has slots for different times of day is helpful. But, it’s only useful if your dad remembers to check his organizer and take pills all day. If he’s likely to forget anyway, a better system is needed. You might find a smart speaker with audio reminders to take his medications can help. It still might not be enough.
When your dad forgets to take his medications and a pill organizer isn’t helping, it’s time to arrange to have caregivers available to help him out. His caregiver can drive him to the pharmacy to pick up medication refills and make sure he orders them in time. Learn more about senior home care by making a call.
If you are considering senior home care in Sugarland, TX for an aging loved one, please call the caring staff at At Your Side Home Care. We will answer all of your senior care questions. Call today: (832) 271-1600.
At Your Side Home Care, provides exceptional home care for seniors and families in Houston, West Houston, Katy, Memorial, The Heights, Spring Valley, Garden Oaks, Hunters Creek, River Oaks, Hilshire Village, Galleria, Cinco Ranch, Spring Branch, Sugar Land, Missouri City, Richmond, Rosenburg, Piney Point, Bay City and surrounding areas.
Our Certified Nurse Aides, 24-Hour Live-in Assistants and Home Health Aides are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We also provide the security and confidence of 24-hour Telephone Assistance, so fast, reliable help is always available when it's needed. To learn more about our homecare services see our homecare services page.
Different people need different levels of homecare. To meet the requirements of our clients, At Your Side Homecare maintains consistent staffing levels of caring professionals. Homecare service is available for as little as a few hours a week, or as many as 24 hours a day, seven days a week
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