As parents age, their medical needs increase, as well as the medications to manage their illnesses and conditions. Keeping track of multiple medications and managing health conditions can be difficult, but there are some steps family members can take assist parents or loved ones manage their care easier. Below are five steps you can take to help your parents or loved ones manage their health more effectively.
Understand Diseases and Conditions
Speak with your parents about any chronic health conditions they may have, and make sure you know and understand the medical terminology that their doctors use as a diagnosis. Websites like WebMD can be very useful in understanding complicated diagnoses. Also, ask your parents about more minor conditions they may have such as slightly raised blood pressure or joints that bother them often.
Keep an Updated Medication List
Unfortunately aging can require a variety of medications and supplements, and depending on your parent’s condition(s), they can become difficult to manage. All people on daily medications should have a list of their medications, dosages, and instructions regardless of age.
Follow Dosage Instructions
Over time, medications can be adjusted or changed and if your parent seems to have difficulty remembering daily tasks they may forget what medications they are supposed to take or may continue taking medications or supplements that their doctor no longer wants them to take. Also, pay attention to medications that are marked “as needed.” Many people begin to take these medications all the time out of habit or because of convenience. If they don’t need to take the medication every day, speak with them about why they are taking it. Perhaps their condition is worse than their doctor realizes and their physician should recommend a different medication or treatment.
Visit Physicians and Specialists as Recommended
Most people do not like to visit the doctor, so if they are feeling well they will put it off or forget to schedule things like annual screenings or checkups. However, if your parent has medical conditions that need to be managed carefully, or monitored for changes, this can be a dangerous attitude. Speak with your parents about their doctors and ask them the last time they saw their family doctor, cardiologist, or whatever specialist manages their condition(s). In addition, many times parents do not want to inconvenience their children by asking for help getting to and from appointments. Offer to take them without their asking if you suspect that might be why they are not going as recommended.
Be Proactive and Involved in Care
If you suspect that your parents are not capable of managing their care effectively, do not be afraid of becoming more involved. Depending on your parent’s personality this may be easier said than done, but speaking honestly with them may help them understand your concerns. One of the easiest ways of getting your parents to be more compliant with their medications and managing their conditions is to go to their doctors appointments with them and actually attending the exam. Doctors are typically willing to answer family member’s concerns if the patient is present at the time of the conversation. You can also request that your parent give you medical power of attorney, which is a document that must be notarized, but will allow you to speak directly with medical staff on your parent’s behalf.
Managing your own health can sometimes be difficult enough without worrying if your parent is taking care of their health. By following the five steps outlined above you should gain some peace of mind that you and your parents are doing everything possible to prevent any conditions from worsening and that any new problems will be treated as quickly as possible.
Hillary Smith - Hillary has worked in the telecommunications field for the past nine years. Serving as an operations manager and now moved into ...
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