Staying Organized: 5 Simple steps to properly take your medications.
Many people regularly take prescription medications to manage health conditions or to promote good health. Some people take 1 or 2 medications daily which are easy to keep track of, but some people take as much as 12 pills a day, and keeping track of so many medications can be challenging. According to the FDA, improper use of medications is the third leading cause of death in the USA. Here are 5 simple things you can do to stay organized, and take your medications safety:
– Pill Box with medication slots for Morning, Noon, Evening, and Bedtime medications.
- Use a pill box: Pill boxes are a great way to organize your medications to make sure you are taking them properly. I find pill boxes effective because they allow you, or your caregiver to set your pills up only once a week so you don’t have to fiddle with pill bottles every day. They also have slots for different medication times, making it easier to take your medications.
- Write down your medication times: It is easier to forget something if it’s not written down. It is a good practice to write down medication reminders, either in a daily planner or on a calendar that you look at every day. The important thing is to make sure your written medication reminder is in plain sight and easy to see and read.
- Use your pill bottles as reminders: If you take multiple medications at different times, and you are not using a pill box, you can also use the pill bottles themselves to help you remember if you have taken your medications or not. You can place your pill bottles up-side down after taking your medications. This will act as a visual cue, helping you determine which medications you have taken, and with ones you still need to take.
- Use technology: There are some pill bottle caps that have timers and alarms that give a visual and audible reminder to take your medications. These pill bottle caps are equipped with a timer that can be set according to your medication times, and it beeps to remind you to take your medications. Some medical supply companies such as www.epill.com offer different technologies that promote medication adherence. These technologies may be costly, but may be lifesavers. Another simple and cheaper option is to set up medication reminders on your cell phone. Most cell phones have calendars, and alarms that can be set by date and time that can be used as medication reminders.
- Ask for help: You can reach out to your support system, such as family and friends, for medication reminders, either verbally when they stay with you, or by telephone. This is an easy way to ensure that you do not forget to take your medications.
Adhering to a medication schedule is not easy, especially with the busy lifestyles we all have, but it’s a matter of vital importance. These 5 simple steps can go a long way in helping you or a loved one take their medications correctly, and improve their health. Taking medications correctly can be a challenge; therefore it is a good idea to consult your pharmacist if you have any questions regarding how to take your medications.
Our Caregiving Staff at Greater Homecare Services Inc. are trained to provide their clients with verbal medication reminders, assisting clients to medical appointments, and pharmacy visits to collect medications. Contact our Agency to request a Caregiver, or to ask for a free evaluation by one of our nursing staff to determine how we can help. Your health and safety is our main priority.