Consequences of seniors forgetting medication

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Consequences of seniors forgetting medication

Dangers of Forgetting or Taking the Wrong Medication

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Med-Q’s Blasting Audio Alarm will tell them when it’s Pill Time. The Flashing will guide them to the right dose. They simply take the pills in the Flashing Day Box. The 5 Minutes of Alarms will repeat every 30 minutes until pills are taken.

How important are Prescription medications?   It is safe to say that Prescription Pills play a vital role in the health and well-being,  This is even stronger when talking about seniors. Pharmacies dispensed more than 5.9 billion prescriptions in 2021. With every one taking pills, it is critical  that medications are taken as prescribed. Ensuring proper adherence to medication guidelines is vital if not life-savin.

Consequences of seniors forgetting medication include

  • Increased risk of adverse drug reactions
  • Diminished effectiveness of medications
  • Increased risk of medication errors, such as taking the wrong medication or incorrect dosage
  • Risk of overdose
  • Hospitalization may be necessary.

Sponsored by Med-Q Medication Compliance System

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The figures about Medication Mistakes Is Staggering

It is common knowledge that seniors are the primary consumers of healthcare as well as taking prescription pills.  The truth,  Over half of senior men and women do not adhere to the medication prescribed instructions.  45 percent off who do not adhere do so on purpose.   Also, the other half are not aware they are taking their medications wrong.  Sometime because  the regimen is too complicated. This lack of adherence contributes to up to 25 percent of hospital admissions and approximately 125,000 deaths each year. Furthermore, it leads to avoidable healthcare costs amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars annually.

Forgetting to take prescribed pills or ingesting the wrong medications can be disastrous. An in-home care professional can help ensure your elderly loved ones take the right medication at the right time.

A multitude of dangerous side effects come from errors. It has happened that fatal occurrences can happen seniors taking the wrong pills. Negative side effects result from failing to comply with medication instructions.

Med-Q igitl Pill Box is listing the 6 most consequences of medication non-adherence:

  • Medication waste

  • Progression of illness or condition

  • Increased risk of pain, bleeding, and organ failure

  • Reduced functional abilities

  • Lower quality of life

  • Increased hospital visits and admissions

If you can’t remember whether you took your medication, what do you do?

What happens if you don’t remember if you took your medications?  When one is not sure if you took a pill, never, ever just take another dose yet. What could happen if you double dose?  If someone ingests an additional dose, the consequences can be deadly. In fact, an extra dose can raise the risk of harmful effects. Check your pill organizer, count the remaining pills in the bottle, or review the instructions that came with your prescription to find specific guidance. 

doctorHealth care profsionals are in agreement, “For most medications, it is safer to accidentally miss a single dose than to double dose” . Keep in mind that the pill/dosing guidelines vary drastically depending on the medication.  For example, it is different for  blood thinners or something like birth control.), it is always best to double-check with a professional.  If in doubt, call the local pharmacy you got the prescription filled.  Also, call e the America’s Poison Centers at 800-222-1222 .  This can help if you are concerned about over dosing. 

For further guidance, consult I can’t remember whether I took my medication, what do I do? on Medical News Today. To help prevent confusion in the future, you can implement some 9 Simple Strategies for Remembering To Take Your Medication or read the Why You Shouldn’t Skip Your Medication guide on WebMD.
 
If you are missing doses consistently, a few strategies can help get your routine back on track:
  • Use a weekly pillbox: These old fashion pill holders can be useful.   They show a quick visual cue to show which days  doses have been taken.
  • Use a Digital Pill Reminder: Medication reminders, like the Med-Q pill Box. have flashing guides.  These alarmed reminders help preventing over dosing. 
  • Try to do Habit stacking: Match up your daily pill-taking with a non-negotiable daily habit.  For example, your first cup of coffee or brushing yourhair.
  • Set electronic reminders: Use persistent reminder apps, alarm clocks, or simple smart phone alarm reminders.

What to do if Unsure?

The worry about over doing is real.  When unsure whether the dose has been taken, the best thing to do is speak with your health care provider or even your pharmacist. They will  advise you on the best course of action based on ythe specific medication. that is over dosed.

pill box for seniors

If you take oral tablets or capsules, you can count how many pills you have left. If you know when you started taking the pills out of that prescription bottle, this could help you determine whether you’ve taken your dose for that day.

Sometimes, when you haven’t taken your medication, there may still be time to take that dose. However, this could depend on the drug and dosing schedule.

Although in some cases, if it’s almost time to take your next dose, your doctor may recommend skipping the missed dose and taking your next dose at its regular time. Never take two doses at once to make up for a missed dose as doing so could raise your risk of side effects.

What happens if you accidentally take your medication twice?

Do not take more of a drug than your doctor prescribes. While serious side effects may be rare, for some medications, taking more than the recommended amount may lead to harmful effects or overdose. Some of the most dangerous medications to double-dose include:

  • heart maintenece medications
  • ADHD drugs, for example “Adderall”
  • medications for Type 1 Diabetes
  • prescription narcotic pain pills
  • psychiatric medications , for example “Wellbutrin.”

If you have any doubt, act quickly. 

Fist of all, contact your doctor right away.  Let them know you may have accidentally taken two doses or three doses of your daily medication. They will offer up advice.  The Healthcare profesional can often advise of what steps to take.  Also, they will let you know about symptoms to watch out for.

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