Medications And Seniors

December 2006

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Medications and What to Ask the Doctor

Adapted from The Comfort of Home: An Illustrated Step-by-Step Guide for Caregivers, © 2006 CareTrust Publications. www.comfortofhome.com

Small Things Can Cause Big Trouble Medications should always be taken exactly as prescribed. Keep an up-to-date list of them and when they should be taken. Never make any changes without talking to the doctor first. Learn to recognize changes in symptoms, because it might mean the person in your care needs to have a prescription changed. Drugs can be expensive, confusing to use, and have unwanted side effects. Patients or caregivers should be sure to ask the doctor and pharmacist how to use them correctly.

• If more than one drug is needed, ask the doctor if they can be taken at the same times each day. If a drug must be taken at a difficult time (for instance, in the middle of the night), ask about other choices. • Can a lower dose be prescribed without bad effects? • Is it possible to buy a one-week supply of a new medication to see if there are any serious side effects? Are free samples available to try?

At the Doctor’s Office Give the doctor a list of all the medications (and the dosages) that the person in your care is taking, including eye drops, over-the-counter products, vitamins, and herbal remedies. Tell the doctor about any other treatments being used, because using multiple treatments can be dangerous. Tell the doctor about any allergies, including food allergies to foods. Questions to ask: • Which medicine relieves pain the best? • How long does it take for the drug to work? • Are there side effects? What should you do if you notice any? • Will any one drug react with other drugs? • Could changes in diet, exercise, reducing stress, or other things help the condition?

Inspiration

No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.

Ca r e gi v e r A s si s tanc e N ews le t t e r

Resource for You

FREE Prescription Savings Card

Individuals and families who meet all four of the following requirements are eligible for the Together Rx Access Card: ❑ Not eligible for Medicare ❑ Have no public or private prescription drug coverage ❑ Household income equal to or less than: – $30,000 for a single person – $40,000 for a family of two – $50,000 for a family of three – $60,000 for a family of four – $70,000 for a family of five ❑ Legal resident of the U.S. or Puerto Rico If you meet all of the eligibility requirements listed above, simply call 1-800-250-2839 to start savings averaging 25–40% on your prescriptions. For the most current list of medicines and products, visit: www.TogetherRxAccess.com



© 2006 CareTrust Publications

Drug Errors

Medical errors hurt 1.5 million people in the U.S. per year. The average hospital patient is subject to at least one medication error per day, furthermore, drug errors are responsible for killing more than 7,000 hospitalized patients a year. Poor communication as patients move through the hospital system is responsible for 50% of all medication errors. Source: New York Times; What Drugs Do You Take? Hospitals Seek To Collect Better Data and Prevent Errors; May 23, 2006; Institute for Healthcare Improvement

December 2006

At The Pharmacy Always fill prescriptions at the same drugstore because they keep careful records and this can help prevent side effects and drug interactions. Choose a pharmacy that uses large, easy-to-open containers with large print labels. The pharmacist can also help you select over-the-counter products. Questions to ask: ❍ Will the insurance company pay for this drug? What is the highest amount they will pay? ❍ Is a generic drug available? Will the pharmacist call the doctor for approval? ❍ What side effects should you look for? When should you call the doctor? ❍ Can using more than one drug at the same time cause unsafe interactions? ❍ Will the pharmacy’s computer alert the pharmacist about possible drug interactions or side effects before the prescription is filled? ❍ What are the risks of not taking the medicine? Are there risks in not finishing the entire prescription? ❍ How dangerous is an overdose? ❍ Is drinking alcohol or smoking allowed while taking the medication? ❍ Should it be taken with a meal, or with water or milk? ❍ Should any specific foods be avoided, such as grapefruit?

Taking Care of Yourself

ays While Grieving Coping With the Holid “Cs”: e, try remembering the three lov you one me so t los ’ve you When Finding ways to s you want to participate in. itie tiv ac the e oos Ch — SE OO CH creating ng a positive focus to grief. Try bri n ca one ed lov g sin mis r acknowledge you the holiday tree, candle, placing a memento on a g tin ligh as ch su l, ua rit l a persona or making a holiday toast. keeping a moment of silence, y grieve differently. know what you need. They ma COMMUNICATE—Let others s. e they understand your feeling onc ne ryo eve for ier eas be l The holidays wil promise. ng way to grieve, so try to com wro or ht rig no is re The — SE COMPROMI , and finding nicating your choices to others mu com ns, tio ac r you ing os By cho will also find y find the holidays easier. You suitable compromises, you ma renewed strength and hope. erica. Hospice Foundation of Am Source: Kenneth J. Doka;

Live Life Laughing! It looks like it’s going to storm. You’d better stay for dinner.

But why? I’ve been driving for 60 years!

Medication Safety Tips

© 2006 CareTrust Publications

1. Refill prescriptions early so you won’t run out. 2. If someone will be taking several medications on his own, find a pharmacy that will do simplified packaging. 3. Check expiration dates frequently and discard any medicines that are out-of-date. 4. Keep all medicines out of sight and away from children and pets. Keep the phone number of the closest poison control center near the phone just in case there is a problem. 5. Wear a medical alert bracelet or carry a card that lists the medications a person is currently taking. This can save their life in an emergency situation.



Our Purpose

To provide caregivers with critical information enabling them to do their job with confidence, pride, and competence.

Ordering Info From the publishers of An Illustrated Step-by-Step Guide for Caregivers available from… CareTrust Publications LLC PO Box 10283, Portland, OR 97296 800-565-1533 or www.comfortofhome.com Comments and suggestions welcome. ©2006 CareTrust Publications LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any component of this publication is forbidden without a license from the publisher. Some content in this publication is excerpted from The Comfort of Home: An Illustrated Step-by-Step Guide for Caregivers. It is for informational use and not health advice. It is not meant to replace medical care but to supplement it. The publisher assumes no liability with respect to the accuracy, completeness or application of information presented or the reader’s misunderstanding of the text.

More Choices for Medicare Drug Benefits The number of companies offering Medicare prescription-drug plans will increase in 2007. Also, more plans will feature zero deductibles. Beneficiaries who are satisfied with their current Medicare prescription-drug coverage will not have to take any action. The average premium will remain at about $24 per month. For more information about Medicare’s prescription-drug benefit call 800Medicare (800-633-4227) or visit the medicare website at www.cms.gov To see if you, or the person in your care, is one of the approximately 8 to 12 million older adults eligible for some public or private assistance and currently are not getting it, visit: www.benefitscheckuprx.org

N E X T I S S U E … un d erstan d in g S tro k e : one d isease , t w o causes

Medications—December 2006

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Q u i z

© 2006 CareTrust Publications

Geriatric patients, who have several different doctors and take multiple medications, are at the greatest risk for medication errors. Read the issue and answer the questions below to test your knowledge of medications. 1. Always give the person in your care their medications exactly as prescribed. TF 2. You can ignore any side effects to medications until they become painful. TF 3. It’s okay for someone take all the vitamins they want without telling the doctor. TF 4. Sometimes the pharmacy’s computer will alert the pharmacist about possible drug interactions or side effects before the prescription is filled. TF 5. It may be safer for someone who will be taking several medications on his own, to have simplified packaging. TF 6. Drug errors are responsible for killing more than 7,000 hospitalized patients a year. TF 7. It is important to know whether drinking alcohol or smoking is allowed while taking the medication; should it be taken with a meal, or with water or milk? Should any specific foods be avoided, such as grapefruit? TF 8. It is important to refill prescriptions early so you won’t run out. TF 9. Learn to recognize changes in symptoms, because it might mean the person in your care needs to have a prescription changed. TF 10. The doctor should have a list of all the medications and the dosages that the person in your care is taking, including eye drops, over-the-counter products, vitamins, and herbal remedies. TF Name ________________________________________ Signature_____________________________________Date_________________________

Answers: 1. T, 2. F, 3. F, 4. T, 5. T, 6. T, 7. T, 8. T, 9. T, 10. T

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