No, I'm not talking about addiction to illegal drugs, that's not my area of information - However, this problem is just as serious, in fact, it could be fatal to your elderly parents. What I'm talking about is the huge pharmaceutical phenomena = Drugs Prescribed by Doctors or bought over the counter.
There is a good chance that by the time you become aware that your parents need help, they will be taking several prescriptions on a continuing basis. In my case, when I started getting involved caring for my parents, my mom was taking pills for arthritis, high blood pressure, clogged veins, diabetes, bone density, incontinence. She needed a weekly pill organizer to keep them straight.
Keeping track of when to take all of these pills is just the tip of the problem.
If they do not have adequate medical insurance that covers drugs, there is a good chance your parent won't be able to afford all the medicines needed to treat their conditions.
An additional problem is drug interactions. If your parent goes to several specialists for ailments affecting different body parts,(and these days - there is a separate doctor for every body part) the specialists may prescribe medications without knowing of the other medications being taken.
This problem could be avoided if the doctors ask and keep a record of other medications being taken. Also, a pharmacist should notice conflicts in prescriptions for the same patient. However, if your parent is not forthcoming with this information, or changes the pharmacy where they fill prescriptions, the conflict will not be caught.
Then comes the problem of forgetting to take medications, or even worse, forgetting the medication was already taken and taking another dose. My aunt was beginning dementia, she would take a nap, wake up and think it was another day and take medications she'd already taken. She wound up in the hospital from an overdose.
An additional problem comes when medications look similar or have similar names, or the directions are not easy to read - this could result in taking the wrong medication or the wrong dose.
If your parent is not able to clearly explain each medication they are taking, it may be necessary to do some research. Sometimes a search on Google using the name of the medication gives a lot of information.
Two very helpful websites that give Free info are the National Library of Medicine (nlm.nih.gov) and WebMd.com.
Of course, the best solution is to accompany your parent to their doctors and have a list of all the medications they are currently taking, as well as a list of questions ready to ask, such as:
Are any of the medications on the list duplications or conflicting with others?
Are any unnecessary at this time? (Perhaps the prescription was for a specific condition that has cleared up)
Is there a generic substitution available (if not already being used - this could save a lot of money)
What are the known side effects for these medications?
Are there any newer, more effective medications for the condition?
Depending on the seriousness of your parent's condition and their capability of taking their medications safely, it may be time to look for alternatives to leaving them on their own.
It may be enough to stop every day or two and monitor the medications. If you do not live close enough - check for home happinesslifetime.com care agencies that provide a person who will go to your parents home - provide some basic care and even do some housekeeping.
There may be a visiting nurse service in the area that will make visits to check on your parent and monitor medications(in certain circumstances Medicare even pays for this.)
Having your parent move into an assisted living facility or nursing home is another alternative - however, a very costly one.
What often happens, at this point, is having your parent move in with you. This may be the solution to one problem but the cause of several others. It's best to look at all options before deciding on what will be the best solution.
About the Author: Rosemarie Zera . After over ten years of running a Bookkeeping Business in New Jersey, she moved to San Antonio, Texas to care for her elderly parents. Enjoys decorating, reading, spending time with her grandkids. Recently started a BLOG about the issues facing babyboomers caring for their aging parents. More information and resources can be found on website: [babyboomeragingparents.com]
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