Taking medication is a fact of life for seniors. However, it can sometimes be difficult to remember to take prescriptions at the appropriate times and with adherence to the proper dosing instructions. In a senior care setting, nurses and other health care professionals provide medication management. When a senior lives in a less structured and less monitored environment, the task can be more challenging. Luckily, there are some easy tips that make staying healthy easier.

A Senior's Guide to Medication Management

1. Use Pill Organizers

Pill organizers offer individual compartments for medications. You can find types that separate medications into each day of the week and even types that provide individual compartments for different times throughout each day. Most are color-coded for quick identification; over time, a senior will begin to associate certain days of the week with the color on the sorter. Be sure to choose an organizer designed for easy senior care and use, with tabs that are easy to open and close and large lettering spelling out the days of the week or times of the day.

2. Set Reminders

If a senior is comfortable with technology, set medication reminders in their smartphone calendar with clear alerts that they can hear. If you’re providing regular senior care and routinely checking in with an elderly loved one who isn't used to a smartphone, enter the reminders into your own phone and then call them throughout the day with medication reminders. Even post-it notes strategically placed in well-traveled areas of the home can be enough to prompt a senior's memory; include notes on the refrigerator, the medicine cabinet, and near the remote control.

3. Make a Checklist

A simple checklist mounted near the medicine cabinet will help a senior stay on top of medication management. Put up a dry-erase board with a weekly calendar and boxes to check off beside each daily medication once the senior has taken that particular dose. Also, use the board to provide helpful cues, like, "Take with food," "Don't take if drinking," and "Only take when needed."

When your loved one is in a senior care facility, their medication will be managed by dedicated health care professionals. West Vue has two locations in West Plains, MO: Pleasant Valley Manor and West Vue Nursing & Rehabilitation Center. They offer elderly care services and support at all stages of advancing age, from independent living in senior apartments to assisted living to a skilled nursing center. Call (417) 256-2152 or visit their website to schedule a tour.