Following surgery or a hospital stay, patients will likely have a medication regimen that needs to be closely followed in order to recover more quickly. However, managing medications can be difficult given the nature of the surgery or illness, and improper medication adherence can lead to re-hospitalization.
The following tips can help patients and their caregivers better manage medications for a smoother recovery:
- Make sure someone is available to fill prescriptions. This allows the person to rest and recover while never missing a dose.
- Keep an organized list of all medications the person is taking and has recently been prescribed. The list should include the names of each medication, how and when to take the medications, what they are for, and any possible side effects to watch out for.
- Use a pill organizer to sort pills and make sure they are taken on the right day at the right time.
- Do not modify pills unless given the OK by a doctor or pharmacist. It’s important to find out if a medication can be cut in half or crushed or given with food before doing so. Certain medications are designed to have a timed release that occurs gradually throughout the day. Crushing them could destroy how the drug is released, causing the person to get too much all at once or none at all.
Taking medications properly following a surgery or hospital stay will help achieve a faster recovery, and can help avoid hospital readmissions. Live Free Home Health Care can assist clients in developing better medication management practices by providing helpful reminders, medication management charts, and education on the importance of each medication. Live Free Home Health Care’s caregivers are also specially trained to monitor for medication side effects and report to others when an issue is potentially problematic.
Read more resources on medication management and contact us today to learn more about our home care services in Concord and the surrounding areas.