Senior man sitting and looking at his medication despondantly

Safe Medication Management for Seniors: Strategies to Avoid Common Issues

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Senior man sitting and looking at his medication despondantly

With a majority of older adults taking at least one prescription daily, safe medication management for seniors is a top priority.

A study of over 2,000 older adults revealed that a remarkable 87% take a minimum of one prescription drug, and a staggering 36% are taking 5 or more – as well as 38% using over-the-counter meds on a routine basis. Safe medication management for seniors is essential, as there are a number of risks and dangers that can occur in the process.

As specialists in aging care, Harmony Home Health & Hospice’s caregiving team helps older adults to ensure meds are taken when and how they are prescribed. It’s also extremely important to understand common problems older adults experience with using their prescriptions, and how to conquer them. As an example:

Sometimes, signs or symptoms continue in spite of taking medications properly. Busy medical practitioners may prescribe what is known as a “starter dose” of a medication, which calls for follow-up to figure out if modification is necessary; but in many cases, that follow-up never occurs. Make sure to schedule a subsequent visit with the doctor when a new medication is prescribed, and make certain the older adult keeps that appointment.

Side effects could very well be worse than the condition being treated. Of particular issue are medications that impact a senior’s balance and thinking – escalating the chance of a fall or other hazardous consequences. Drugs to be particularly cautious about include anticholinergics, sedatives/tranquilizers, benzodiazepines, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and opiates. Consult with the physician if any of these medications are prescribed for an older relative and carefully weigh the possible risks against benefits.

Staying compliant with medication adherence may be a challenge. Remembering that one particular med needs to be taken with food, while another on an empty stomach, another with a full glass of water, one before breakfast and two at bedtime, can make it tremendously challenging to take prescriptions precisely when and how they are prescribed. Engage the services of a home health care agency, such as Harmony Home Health & Hospice, for medication reminders and management.

Cost may be prohibitive. When cost for a specific prescription is high, older adults could very well be tempted to reduce their dosage amounts to reduce cost – a very risky behavior. Older adults should instead talk with their doctors about generic versions of medications, or any other methods to keep cost at a minimum.

Be informed on likely interactions with other meds. Bring a full listing of all the medications a loved one is taking to a physician or pharmacist with knowledge in polypharmacy, who is able to confirm that the drugs can safely be taken in conjunction with one another. Be sure to include any over-the-counter medications taken regularly as well. For a fast online evaluation, this drug interaction checker lets you enter each of a senior’s medications and view any concerns, which can then be discussed with his or her doctor.

Contact Harmony Home Health & Hospice online or at 1-877-I-NEED-CARE for more medication management tips, as well as for professional hands-on assistance with a full range of home health care services. For a full list of all the communities in New Mexico and Utah where we provide care, please visit our Service Area page.

Senior woman on a video call with her doctor

Medications That Increase Fall Risk in Seniors & Tips for Prevention

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Senior woman on a video call with her doctor

Learn about medications that increase fall risk in seniors and learn how to ensure a loved one’s safety.

We’ve long known that there are particular medications that increase fall risk for seniors. Twenty years ago, slightly over half of all seniors were impacted by that risk; yet now, that number has risen considerably – to an astounding 94% of seniors who are now vulnerable to falling due to medication side effects. Not only that, but deaths from such falls are occurring at more than double the prior rate.

The research doesn’t expressly identify these medications as the cause for fatality in the falls experienced, but suggests the need for further research into the dosages being prescribed. Joshua Niznik in the geriatric medicine division at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine notes, “We’re starting to understand now that the dose of the medication that someone is on is really what we should be looking at probably with the greatest level of scrutiny, and that really has a strong correlation with falls.”

It is essential for seniors and their physicians to work together to strike the perfect balance between managing the conditions that require these medications and preventing additional complications from a fall.

Amy Shaver, postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions, and lead author of the research study, states, “These drugs are all necessary medications, but there needs to be a conversation about risks and advantages, that pro-con conversation about: For this particular patient at this particular point in time, what can we do?”

What Medications Increase Fall Risk for Seniors?

Medications that are specifically connected with fall risk include those for depression, blood pressure management, seizures, pain, and psychosis, among others. Women are most often prescribed these types of medications, and those 85 and older are experiencing the highest spike in fall-related deaths.

One step seniors can take to help is to have the home assessed for fall risk, and to implement any recommended safety precautions. Harmony Home Health & Hospice is pleased to offer an evaluation, scheduled at a time convenient to you. We can also help minimize fall risk through services such as:

  • Making sure that medicines are taken just as prescribed
  • Aiding in safe walking and transfers
  • Encouraging older adults to engage in physician-approved exercise programs to bolster balance, flexibility, and strength
  • And so much more

To learn more about how our home health care team helps families in New Mexico and Utah, schedule an assessment today by contacting us online or giving us a call at 1-877-I-NEED-CARE!

happy-senior-man-playing-tennis

Is Exercise the Best Medicine for Seniors?

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happy-senior-man-playing-tennis

The best medicine for seniors may also be the simplest — regular exercise.

If you made a resolution in the beginning of the year to work out more this year, ideally you’re continuing to stay with it! Adding more physical activity to your everyday tasks is one resolution we ought to all be putting into action. For seniors, many of whom take a variety of medications for different health problems, this is especially true. In fact, exercise may even be the best medicine for seniors.

Research is revealing that, remarkably, doctor-approved senior workout routines can be as advantageous as typically-prescribed medicines in combating or treating many of the leading causes of death. In one study, researchers compared the benefits of physical exercise vs. medication. The finding consistently demonstrated that both medications and exercise shared practically the same results in reducing deaths in individuals who had previously been identified as having a range of common and serious health problems, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

For instance, the study found that participants with heart disease who exercised but didn’t take commonly-prescribed medicines, like angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors, statins, or antiplatelet drugs, had a similar risk of dying from — or surviving — cardiovascular disease as people who were taking those medications.

Analysts also showcased how rarely physicians “prescribe” exercise as an effective medical treatment. Huseyin Naci, a graduate student at the London School of Economics and Political Science, along with Dr. John Ioannidis, director of the Stanford Prevention Research Center in the Stanford University School of Medicine, worked jointly on the study, determining that, according to Naci, “We are not suggesting that anyone stop taking their medications. But maybe people could think long and hard about their lifestyles and talk to their doctors about whether exercise could and should be incorporated into their care.”

At Harmony Home Health & Hospice, we love helping older adults stay as active as they possibly can, while achieving the best possible quality of life when recovering at home. As the most highly regarded provider of companion care in Salt Lake City and the surrounding areas, we are happy to encourage, motivate, and make exercise enjoyable. We also offer physical therapy services that are specifically personalized to meet each senior’s unique health and wellness goals.

Call us at 1-877-I-NEED-CARE to find out more about how we can help improve overall wellbeing and health for a senior you love!

Doctor discussing medication with senior woman.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Senior Medications and Hospitalizations

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Doctor discussing medication with senior woman.

When it comes to senior medications and hospitalizations, these are some of the must-ask questions to keep on hand for their physician.

The facts are astonishing: recent research conducted by the Annals of Family Medicine unveiled that a typical primary care physician has a “panel” of as many as 2,000 patients – those who are currently under their care. Moreover, the research noted that such a medical professional would have to “spend 21.7 hours per day to provide all recommended acute, chronic and preventive care for a panel of 2,500 patients.”  Read more

senior man waking up and looking at his alarm clock

Understanding the Dangers of Sleep Medications for Seniors

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senior man waking up and looking at his alarm clock

Sleep medications for seniors come with many risks, but these tips can help loved ones get a better night’s rest.

There’s just nothing that compares with the feeling of waking up after a good night’s sleep, feeling energized and ready to face the day. Yet for many seniors – as many as one in three of them – getting enough sleep is something that only happens in their dreams. And sadly, it’s a common misconception that insufficient sleep is something we just need to accept as we grow older – an assumption that Preeti Malani, M.D., chief health officer and professor of medicine at the University of Michigan wants to correct. According to Dr. Malani, “If older adults believe that these changes are a normal, inevitable part of aging, they may not think of it as something to discuss with their doctor. And not discussing it can potentially lead to health issues not being identified and managed.”

Instead of tossing and turning each night, almost half of older adults experiencing sleeping problems are turning to sleeping medications – a habit that can be extremely dangerous as we age. Sleep medications for seniors can double the risk of falls and broken bones, due to the increased dizziness and disorientation they are known to often cause. Older adults are often also at risk of becoming dependent on sleeping medications. And, the risk for car accidents may increase as well, according to Consumer Reports’ Choosing Wisely campaign.

To take it a step further, the concern even includes herbal remedies and supplements as well, which place older adults at risk for a number of additional negative health problems. Even something as seemingly harmless as melatonin can react negatively with other common meds, such as those for diabetes and high blood pressure, leading to dizziness and nausea.

A senior having sleep problems should instead talk with his or her primary care physician to rule out any underlying conditions (including depression, anxiety, restless leg syndrome, and heart disease, just to name a few) and to get his or her recommendation on how to safely improve sleep. Several safe alternatives include:

  • Cutting back on the amount of caffeine and alcohol consumed, particularly later in the day and evening
  • Making sure all electronic devices are kept out of the bedroom, and ensuring the room is cool and dark
  • Establishing a sleeping routine and sticking to it, going to sleep and awakening at the same time every day
  • Exploring the services of a professional sleep therapist for cognitive behavioral therapy

As the top provider of senior home care in Salt Lake City, UT and the surrounding area, the home health care experts at Harmony Home Health & Hospice can help older adults maintain better sleeping habits with a variety of home health care services, helping to ensure that seniors’ care needs are met so they can rest easy. Call us at 1-877-I-NEED-CARE (1-877-463-3322) to learn more.

Color-coded pill organizer for medication management

The Hidden Hazards of Pill Organizers

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Color-coded pill organizer for medication management

Pill organizers are helpful to many seniors, but some negative effects have been noted.

On average, older adults take as many as 15-18 different prescriptions every day. It’s likely that most seniors wind up missing or taking incorrect doses of their meds, which can cause dangerous health concerns. So, how do we ensure that we reduce the likelihood of these medication errors? Pill organizers seems to be a great solution given the fact that we place the correct meds in these perfectly labeled boxes. Problem solved, right?

Surprisingly, medication management research is revealing a much different scenario. Older adults who had been taking their medications from the original packaging and later switched to pill organizers were overwhelmed with health problems including falls, hypoglycemia, and in one case, someone was unable to get out of the bathtub until rescued a full 12 hours later.

Are Pill Organizers Safe for Older Adults?

A study was conducted involving 29 participants over age 75 who had not used pill organizers and were, inadvertently, not taking their medications as directed by their physicians. For eight weeks, half of the seniors in the study started using a pill organizer, while the other half continued taking their meds as they always had.

Initially, it was believed that the seniors had been missing doses and/or taking their meds incorrectly before utilizing a pill organizer; however, the results conclude that the health concerns, were discovered only in seniors who had recently begun to use pill organizers.

As a result, Dr. Debi Bhattacharya, lead researcher in the study, recommends confirming dosage amounts with a physician and/or pharmacist for seniors that plan to switch to a pill organizers. She further explains, “People who are already using a pill organizer without any ill effects should not stop using it, as they do seem to help some patients take their medication as prescribed. It’s the switching stage which appears to be the danger.”

Harmony Home Health & Hospice, a top provider of Clearfield home health care services and care throughout the surrounding areas, offers dependable medication management services for seniors as part of our home health care services, with reminders to take medications exactly when and how they’re prescribed, to ensure they remain as healthy and safe as possible. Contact us at 1-877-I-NEED-CARE (1-877-463-3322) to learn more and to find out if our services are available in your area.

Living With a Chronic Illness

Finding Joy When Living With a Chronic Illness

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Living With a Chronic Illness

Living with a chronic illness doesn’t mean that life lacks joy and purpose.

Have you ever started your day and figured, “It’s probably going to be one of those days!” Maybe your alarm didn’t go off, the hot water heater opted to stop working, and the dog chewed up one of your favorite shoes overnight. Then imagine if every day were “one of those days!” For someone living with a chronic illness (and that is much of the senior population), daily struggles and challenges may be a given.

Yet there are numerous steps that older adults can take to realize and maintain a life of joy, even throughout the face of chronic illness. For instance:

  • Follow passions. Finding purpose and meaning in each day is essential – and attainable. Many older adults find happiness in assisting and supporting other people. Others thrive on being lifelong learners. For some it can mean recording the past for the following generation. Brainstorm ideas until you arrive at one that ignites passion, and then make it a reality.
  • Practice positivity. One good way to produce a more positive outlook on life is through journaling. Encourage your elder family members to begin every day by writing a summary of everything they’re grateful for that morning, including the relatively ordinary: the smell of fresh coffee brewing, a dog curled up in a sunbeam, an upcoming lunch date with a relative. At the end of each week, sit together and read back through the earlier entries for a quick and practical pick-me-up.
  • Avoid negativity. Adding in a measure of positivity as mentioned above can naturally lead to reduced negativity, but there are further strategies that may be taken as well. For instance, allow for breaks from activities that induce irritation, providing needed time to de-stress. Put the focus on dealing with tasks which can be accomplished successfully, and find an alternative solution for those that are too challenging, such as assigning those tasks to another family member or friend, or engaging the services of a specialist.
  • Get out of the house. Preserving as active a lifestyle as possible outside of the home is often so refreshing for seniors. Help your elder loved ones go out for hair appointments, shopping trips, visits with relatives, and other fun outings, as much as they are comfortable. Even simply going outdoors and relaxing on the front porch when weather allows can substantially boost someone’s frame of mind and outlook.

As the top providers of support for home hospice in Salt Lake City, Albuquerque and the surrounding areas, Harmony Home Health & Hospice aims to help older adults attain the best possible quality of life at all times. Our professionally trained and knowledgeable care team offers a wide variety of customized home health care solutions to ensure your loved one is safe, comfortable and healthy. Call us at 1-877-I-NEED-CARE (1-877-463-3322) and discover the difference our in-home health care services can make for your loved one!

Chronic Disease Management

Combining Health Care Goals with Chronic Disease Management for Seniors

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Chronic Disease Management

Chronic disease management should include identifying health care goals for seniors.

On the subject of chronic diseases, older adults are often the experts, hands down, with up to three out of four seniors affected by multiple conditions that are ongoing, call for long-term medical attention, and place limitations on activities. With the never-ending barrage of bloodwork and other medical tests, physicians’ appointments and procedures and medications, chronic disease management often takes both a physical and emotional toll, and may very quickly become overwhelming.

Dr. Mary Tinetti, chief of geriatrics and internist at Yale School of Medicine, said, “Once you get three, four, or five and six diseases, several things happen: Number one, almost guaranteed, trying to get one of these diseases under control is going to make one of the other diseases worse. Number two: The more we ask people to do, the more overwhelmed they get and the less they are likely to do.”

For these reasons, Dr. Tinetti has developed the Patient Priorities Care approach, with the objective to decrease the burden of treatment by empowering patients to communicate their personal health care goals – identifying what truly matters most to them. A plan of care will then be created to successfully meet those goals. For example, one person’s goal could possibly be to enhance quality of life during the short-term, whereas another individual may seek to improve longevity of life. Furthermore, it takes under consideration activities the individual enjoys and how to find the easiest way for him or her to continue to take part in them.

The Patient Priorities Care method builds upon the Minimally Disruptive Medicine strategy developed a decade ago, which also strives to help remedy the stress of chronic condition treatment, but which did not contain the key facet of incorporating feedback from patients to understand what means the most to them.

Ultimately, what many seniors discover is that they prefer to lessen “unwanted care,” which they understand requires significantly more personal energy than the benefit they are going to receive, such as diagnostic tests and procedures. To that end, aging adults and their loved ones can make the most of these beneficial resources to get more successful, self-directed care, such as a conversation guide, overview of health priorities, and much more.

As the most trusted provider of home nursing care in Salt Lake City and the surrounding areas, Harmony Home Health & Hospice is completely dedicated to understanding what is most essential to the older adults in our care, and to offering the degree of care which helps them to flourish and attain their goals. It is why our care is fully personalized, and always starts with learning as much as possible about each individual and what his or her goals encompass – and then developing a plan of care to help reach those goals. Call us at 1-877-I-NEED-CARE (1-877-463-3322) to learn more.

Prescription Medicine

Home Health Care in Ogden, Utah Focuses On Cutting-Edge Alzheimer’s Treatment Options

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Prescription Medicine

he latest Alzheimer’s treatment options provide hope for patients and families.

The latest Alzheimer’s statistics are worrying. The disease is now the 6th leading cause of death, rising above both breast cancer and prostate cancer put together. And even though deaths from other chronic health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, are decreasing, those from Alzheimer’s have increased in excess of 100%. The toll the disease takes on family caregivers is likewise astonishing, with well over 16 million Americans providing over 18 billion hours of care for a senior loved one with Alzheimer’s disease.

Although we have yet to find a cure for the disease, there are a couple of distinct types of Alzheimer’s treatment options which can help ease several of the more prevalent symptoms. If your parent is identified as having Alzheimer’s, here are two options the doctor may propose:

  1. Cholinesterase inhibitors: By blocking the breakdown of acetylcholine, a compound crucial for memory, attention, learning and muscle activity, these prescription medications can provide some assistance with the mild to moderate phases of Alzheimer’s for a lot of patients. Dr. Zaldy Tan, medical director of the UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program, cautions, however, to bear in mind that outcomes will likely be moderate at best. “The best case scenario is that the patient’s memory and cognitive function may improve slightly to what it was six months to a year ago – it’s not going to turn back time,” he makes clear. Included in this class of medications are galantamine (Razadyne), donepezil (Aricept) and rivastigmine (Exelon).
  2. Memantine: For the moderate to severe periods associated with the disease, a doctor may recommend memantine (Namenda) which takes a new strategy in comparison to cholinesterase inhibitors, avoiding the overstimulation of glutamate NMDA receptors which in turn may also help improve limited memory functionality. Doctors will frequently add memantine to a patient’s treatment plan in combination with a cholinesterase inhibitor as the disease advances.

Determining the effectiveness of these treatments takes persistence, as the two take 4 – 6 weeks before benefits may be realized. And, it is crucial to look at the advantages versus any unfavorable side effects, which may include confusion and constipation in memantine, and nausea, vomiting and a low heart rate with cholinesterase inhibitors.

One of the best strategies to assist individuals with Alzheimer’s disease live life to the fullest is through engaging the services of a specially qualified caregiver who understands and will help manage the varied concerns of dementia. Email or call Harmony Home Health & Hospice , the experts in home health care in Ogden, Utah, at 1-877-I-NEED-CARE for more information about our professional, compassionate Alzheimer’s care services for older adults.

These common meds may now be Alzheimer’s risk factors.

Alzheimer’s Risk Factors Now Include These Common Medications

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These common meds may now be Alzheimer’s risk factors.

These common meds may now be Alzheimer’s risk factors.

They’re currently recognized to result in a number of short-term side-effects, such as memory loss and confusion, but new research suggests several of the stronger anticholinergic drugs (such as those prescribed for Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, depression, and overactive bladder) may now be Alzheimer’s risk factors.

The research involved two groups of seniors: 59,000 patients with dementia, and 225,000 without. About 57% of those with dementia, and 51% without, were prescribed a minimum of one (and up to six) strong anticholinergic medications. Taking into account other known dementia risk factors, the results were a surprising 50% increased risk of dementia in those who were taking strong anticholinergics every day for three or more years, with the most notable risk to men and women who received a dementia diagnosis before age 80.

It’s important to note that there was no correlation observed between dementia and other varieties of anticholinergics (for example, antihistamines like Benadryl and GI medications).

Even though these findings do not prove anticholinergics as an underlying cause for dementia, at the very least, “This study provides further evidence that doctors should be careful when prescribing certain drugs that have anticholinergic properties,” according to Tom Dening, study co-author and head of Nottingham’s Center for Dementia. Dening also emphasized that people currently prescribed these medications must not stop taking them suddenly, which can cause a great deal more harm.

The suggestion is for any individual concerned about these meds as potential Alzheimer’s risk factors to speak with his / her physicians to consider the advantages against any possible disadvantages, and to explore alternative means of treatment whenever possible. For instance, those taking medications for help with sleeping – something that has become significantly widespread in seniors – can take into consideration behavioral changes and a more therapeutic perspective over insomnia medications.

And no matter what prescriptions a senior takes, appropriate medication management is crucial – a thing that’s easier said than done with many senior loved ones taking multiple medications in various doses at different times of the day. Harmony Home Health & Hospice can provide the medication management services needed to ensure older adults take the right medications at the right time – each time.

Our uniquely trained and experienced caregiving team is also on hand to provide creative, compassionate, effective care strategies to greatly help decrease the challenging facets of dementia, resulting in a better quality of life both for seniors and their loved ones. Contact the most trusted home health aides in Salt Lake City and the surrounding area at 1-877-I-NEED-CARE at any time to learn more.