Family caregivers can prevent accidental overdose

A growing concern for family caregivers is the possibility of Friend or Family accidental overdose. This is an issue MED-Q hears about with alarming regularity. If nothing else, the statistics bear out the potential for danger to our loved ones.  Hence, family caregivers can prevent accidental overdose.

Senior women take 61% of all prescription as well as OTC pills ( over-the-counter). For example, written prescriptions for 65 plus, averages 17 per person per year.  Also, 80% of people that are over 65 are taking prescription pills.

Simply put, family caregivers can prevent accidental overdoses with caution.With this many medications to take on a regular basis, an accidental overdose is surely a potential problem for Senior Men and Women.  Hence, the need for a smart pill dispenser for of our loved ones.  Furthermore, all of the risks are increased by memory loss from dementia or Alzheimer’s.  Other example, hearing difficulties  or total deafness as well as vision problems lead to accidental overdose.

Sponsored by Med-Q Smart Pill Dispenser with triple Alarms

The challenges of a Family Caregiver

It is critical that caregivers pay close attention.  To illustrate, watching for an accidental overdose by a friend or family member.

Some things that a “proactive” caregiver will practice:

• Family Caregiver ought to purchase a 21st century smart pill dispenser
• Watch for changes in their speech patterns, mental acuity, physical strength
• Keep an eye on an increased level of depression as well as experiencing confusion.
• Regularly check the medicine cabinet for medication usage patterns.  For example, medication left over that should have been taken.  Check medication expiration dates.  
• Bring all of the prescription bottle to the pharmacist.  The goal,  make sure all medications work well together. If you take all prescriptions to one pharmacist, they can more easily cross-reference drugs to look for any potential adverse side effects. In fact, Med-q Smart Pill Dispenser with alarms  recommends using the same pharmacy for filling all loved one’s prescription meds.   One of the most important partnerships we can have with a care professional is often overlooked – the pharmacist.
• Many of our loved ones are receiving medications from multiple doctors. First, make a list of all the medical prescriptions.  Second, add over-the-counter medications to the list.  Finally, send it to your loved one’s primary care physician for review.
• When discussing these concerns with your loved ones, remember that your most effective weapons against an accidental overdose are respect and understanding. Successful medication management works best when you are working as a team.

A Smart pill dispenser is a tool so Family caregivers can prevent accidental overdose

An automatic pill dispenser takes the family caregivers worry’s out of remembering to take medication. Caregiver are now able to relax knowing the pill reminder will beep when the next dose is due.  Some of the better pillboxes will use a flashing guide. This means,  no chance of taking the wrong amount. Using an automatic pill dispenser helps support independence in the home.

For family caregivers, knowing their loved is taking meds properly is a big relief. They get peace of mind knowing that even if they are not there, their loved one’s medications are taking life saving medications. There are several automated medication dispensers on the market, so which one should you choose? 

Have you had an experience with an accidental overdose with your loved one. Please share your story below.

Take Care