One of the realities of aging is an increase in medications. It could be as simple as an increase in daily vitamins or as complicated as a strict regime of prescriptions to counteract age-related diseases.
No matter what the reasons for taking it, medication is something that requires close attention to detail. There are a variety of apps that you can download for your phone to help you remember pill schedules, identify pills, and to check drug interactions. There are many ways that family caregivers have found to keep track of their loved-one’s medications and technology is only increasing those options.
But what happens when you’re not the primary caregiver? How are those drugs going to be handled when you hire an in-home caregiver?
Midnight Sun Homecare is a private duty company. That means that we have the ability to perform many duties in the home that Medicaid companies cannot. If our clients want us to handle situations with medications we will absolutely do so. Because we work for you.
Every client’s situation is different so not all of our caregivers are trained to handle medications. If medications will be a part of your desired care then we will ensure that we choose a properly trained caregiver with all of the knowledge necessary for handling meds is chosen for you or your loved one. Every caregiver that will be handling medications is required to have the proper training and a signed liability release. We always place highly skilled caregivers in the home to ensure that our clients are receiving the best and safest care.
If our caregivers are handling all of the medications then they will ensure that they are taken on time and according to your physician’s instructions. Caregivers are also able to pick up prescriptions as well as over the counter medications if needed.
We do require a release for medication set-up and administration. This makes sure that there is no miscommunication about the medicines and that both our clients and our caregivers are clear about the care plan.
We know how important those meds are to the comfort of our clients but we also know how dangerous they can be if accidently taken more than necessary. If there is a situation where we will be giving narcotics then we ask that a lock box be used for them. Medications are counted at the beginning and the end of every shift and signed off on. Safety is always a priority to us.
If you choose to continue caring for your loved one yourself, consider a lock box and a counting routine for narcotics as well. And definitely check out some of those apps.
If you have any questions about medication safety while caregiving or would like to talk to us about setting up in-home care we’re always here for you!