Medication Tips For Seniors – Caregiver Information

Dignity Care - Medication Tips For Seniors - Caregiver Information

Did you know that nearly one-third of the population has difficulty swallowing pills? Most people don’t swallow pills correctly. This often results in gagging, choking, and vomiting, which usually results in people not taking their medications at all, or not taking the recommended dosage, which then results in a need for later additional medical care.

If you are caring for a senior who has trouble swallowing their pills, here are some medication tips and some good news. Researchers have found new techniques that make pill-popping easier, even for large pills.

German researchers recently tested two methods of swallowing pills and found that 80% of the time these methods worked better than the normal way of taking a pill. The first is the “pop-bottle method,” and it makes tablets go down with ease. The second is the “lean-forward technique,” which sends capsules straight down the throat. Both have been rigorously tested by 151 volunteers who swallowed numerous dummy pills for the sake of science. And now they are being shared with the world via their publication in the Annals of Family Medicine.

Read about each method so you can try it yourself or have the senior you are caring for try it. Just may make life a little easier for you both.

Why Is Staying Hydrated So Difficult For Seniors?

Dignity Care - Why Is Staying Hydrated So Difficult For Seniors

Hot summer days are a good time for everyone to be thinking about staying hydrated. For older adults the topic of hydration is a year-round discussion that never goes away. It’s a serious issue for most seniors but doesn’t get resolved because it needs to be addressed every day and can’t be solved with a pill.

Seniors have a very high risk for dehydration, which is one of the most frequent causes of hospitalization after the age 65. They have a greater risk of dehydration for many reasons, including the facts that as we age, our kidneys become less efficient at conserving fluids, our sense of thirst weakens, and we are less able to adjust to changes in temperature. Some medications like diuretics, sedatives, and laxatives can also cause increased fluid loss.

Dehydration can cause temporary symptoms that mimic symptoms of Alzheimer’s. If dementia-like symptoms seem to appear suddenly, it could be dehydration which is easily curable.

Seniors and HydrationSymptoms of dehydration range from minor to severe and include:  persistent fatigue, muscle weakness, headaches, dizziness, nausea, forgetfulness, confusion, lethargy, increased heart rate, sunken eyes, dry mouth, dark colored urine.  Urine should be clear to pale yellow. I tell my clients that if their urine is darker than pale yellow, they should head straight to the kitchen from the bathroom and drink a full glass of water.  Keeping a glass of water beside you all day to sip on rarely results in someone drinking enough fluids.  It’s more effective to drink the entire glass, even if it’s a small glass.  Seniors can’t rely on their sense of thirst to tell them when to drink water.  Scheduling a glass at each meal and/or after a bathroom visit, making sure to drink the full glass, is the best way to make sure you’ve gotten your full daily amount.

 

Photo Credit