Understanding Long Term Care

It is likely that when a loved one suffers an illness, injury or is born with a disability, they will need care over alengthy period of time. This long-term care often includes help with daily basis activities such as bathing, dressing and using the bathroom, while it can also include help in home chores, getting around town and managing meals. It incorporates a wide array of supportive and social services that are not necessarily focused on curing a particular ailment or illness, but maintaining aprime quality of life for that person.

Home care in a Senior Residential Facility

When it comes to seniors, the comforts of home can go a long way.Many seniors choose to receive the follow up healthcare they need at home since the environment of a hospital is not always soothing. “Home” can mean a variety of things. For some seniors, it means the house they have lived in for 40 years or more. For others, it means a retirement community or an assisted living.

If the senior needs a particular type of care or has specific preferences, requires physical therapy, medication administration, companionship or social services, Welcome Care’s professional caregivers can provide supplement support wherever the senior lives

For seniors who are making the transition out of their residential homes and into an assisted or independent living community, Welcome Care can also help them adjust.

Medications

When it comes to seniors taking medicines, it can be confusing or something new that seems hard to remember. There are some important things to remember about taking medicine each day, regardless if the senior has taken medicines before or not. What could happen if the medicines are not taken as prescribed? Firstly, not taking pills properly may cause side effects that can vary from mild to being very harmful. Secondly, the medicines to help manage medical condition may not work effectively.

How Hard Can This Be? It’s Just Pills

For seniors to take medication, it is very important for them to take the time to learn how and when to take pills. Some pills must be taken with food; others must be taken at night time. Some pills cannot be taken together or else the effect of one pill will cancel out the effect of the other pill. Older adults or family caregivers should make a record of each time a pill is taken on a weekly basis medication log and take this log to the doctor at each appointment. This approach can be very helpful since trying to remember when to take the pill can be challenging for anyone at any age.

Why So Many Pills?

It can be overwhelming acknowledging the number of pills to be taken. Often doctors need to prescribe multiple medications for some medical conditions.

For each medicine, the individual should know:

• The name of the medicine and if it is generic or a brand.
• The purpose of the medicine and how long before there may be the effects.
• When and how it should be taken and the time period for taking it.
• What other medicines, drinks or foods, should be avoided.
• The possible side effects and when to call the doctor.

How Can an Older Adult Remember to Take All the Medications?

• Elderly adults should take medications at the same time each day. By making it an activity, like brushing your teeth, helps a person remember better.
• Use a weekly pill box as a reminder; use a color coding system for time of the day; timer caps for the bottles – some beep when it is time to take a pill.