A normal life of living at home becomes a life of higher risks for seniors. Dangers can be in the form of falls and medication errors. Senior’s risk of falls increase each year with a third of elderly experiencing one or more falls every year. Another common mistake is an error in consuming and storing their medication, which is seen in a quarter of seniors.
Home can become a hazardous place for seniors, but with certain measures you can create a safer environment! Learn about the causes of senior accidents and how to prevent them.
How to Prevent Mistakes with Medication
The risk of health problems is higher as we age, so it’s common to take more medications in old age. Managing different prescriptions and medication schedules can be an arduous task. In addition seniors deal with hearing and vision loss that can make the task even more difficult.
26% of seniors make potentially dangerous mistakes with their medication every year. Find out how you can prevent these errors:
- Exchange information with doctors: It’s common that patients are seeing different doctors for different things, in which each doctor isn’t aware of the medication being given to a patient. This begins with a lack of communication between doctors and other providers. A list of every drug being taken should be shared with every doctor they visit. This can help avoid adverse drug effects.
- Be aware of food and alcohol interactions: Food and alcohol can have an immense effect on how drugs interact with your body. It should be noted whether your medication needs to be taken on an empty stomach or with food, affecting how the drug is absorbed into the system. Alcohol should be used sparingly with most drugs because it can enhance drowsiness, affect balance, and slow reaction time.
- Make sure medication isn’t expired: Overtime certain drugs can lose their effectiveness as it ages. Take notice of the expiration date and don’t try to save money by using every bit past expiration.
- Avoid storing in medicine cabinet: The medicine cabinet is actually one the worst places to store medicine because of the humidity and high temperatures in the bathroom. These conditions can affect the chemical composition of medicines. A cool and dry place is better than storing medicine in the bathroom or kitchen. Also, keep note if the medication must be refrigerated.
How to Prevent Seniors from Falling
One of the leading causes of injuries in the elderly are from falls. Partaking in an active lifestyle can reduce the risk of falls and here are other ways to avoid falls:
- Keep up with eye exams: Although there are many factors that can cause a fall, poor vision is foremost among them. Patients with significant visual impairment need special attention from their eye care providers to help preserve their physical health.
- Remove hazards in the home: Maintaining steps, installing ramps, and railings can help in making the home safer. Hazards in the home can be poor lighting, slippery surfaces, and uneven floors.
- Wear a medical alert button: Medical alert systems provide emergency monitoring in and out of the home. They are designed to signal an emergency requiring urgent attention and to call emergency medical personnel. They can also alert family members and caregivers.
Fairmont Grand Senior Living Community
Fairmont Grand is a resident centered senior living and memory care facility in Rapid City, SD. Our goal is to create an environment where resident well-being is at the heart of everything we do.
Our wide range of services are designed to meet you or your loved one’s daily needs. We offer restaurant style dining options, a variety of physical activities, and give residents the opportunity to live as independently as possible.