Many seniors take anticoagulants, medication to keep blood thin by preventing clots that may lead to heart attack, DVTs or stroke.
Without anticoagulants, blood clots could form and travel to other parts of the body, causing other health problems.
In reality, your senior’s blood is not ‘thinner’ but blood clots have more difficulty forming when anticoagulants are used.
Using these medications is serious business, too.
It is important to follow safety precautions when taking any form of blood thinner.
Taking a medication to thin your blood means your senior is at higher risk of bleeding, even with simple things such as brushing their teeth.
Your senior may also bruise more easily and feel cold as a result of these medications.
Blood Thinner Safety
Blood thinners are often associated with changes to the foods our seniors can eat, but there are other safety precautions that are very important to follow.
Here are some reminders for your senior:
- Prevent bleeding by wearing shoes indoors and outdoors
- Wear gloves while doing yard work
- Use scissors or knives carefully
- Use an electric razor or hair removal cream instead of razor blades
- Don’t use toothpicks instead use a waxed dental floss
- Use a soft bristle toothbrush
- Use caution when cutting finger and toe nails
- Be sure every doctor or pharmacist knows you are taking blood thinners
- Get your blood tested on schedule according to your doctors instructions
- Ask your pharmacist about over the counter and prescription medications that can interfere with blood thinners
- Avoid certain foods, nutritional supplements and alcohol, which could interact with your anticoagulant
- Be sure everyone that treats your senior is aware that they are taking these medications including dentist or doctors and before any medical procedures
You may want to be sure your senior loved one wears an identification bracelet that states they are taking an anticoagulant in case of emergency.
Here are more articles about medication safety and our senior loved ones that you might find informative.