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Award-winning patient safety program from The Joint Commission, a not-for-profit health organization.
Pay Attention To The Medications
“Medication errors are among the most common medical errors, harming at least 1.5 million people every year,” says a report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.
You’d be amazed at the craziness we experienced with medication mistakes that happened with our dad: being taken off drugs cold turkey, being given drugs he had bad reactions to, not getting some medications because of some inexplicable snafu. And each mistake had painful consequences for our dad.
Knowing your family as you do, you are in the best position to recognize uncharacteristic behavior (such as that listed below). If any of these changes should occur, or other unusual behavior that seems out of character for your parent, make sure you bring it to the attention of the medical team, and ask if there have been any changes in medication.
Reactions to Take Note of:
And keep in mind that medication changes (and potential mistakes) can occur when your parent is admitted to a hospital, when just changing floors in the same hospital, and then again when they enter a rehab or nursing home. A regularly updated list of your parent’s medications is the best tool you have to prevent any such mistake. And make sure to include vitamins, herbal supplements and over-the-counter medications (which can cause adverse interactions with prescribed meds), as well as any specific allergies.
Also, don’t assume that medications are being properly taken, as instructed, at home. Dosage instructions can be confusing even in the best of health. If need be, you can get someone to assist your parent, like a trusted friend or a nursing service.
Keep a list of all medications, and if you see a change in your parent’s behavior or comfort, ask the doctor or nurse if there has been any change to medications.
You’d be amazed at the craziness we experienced with medication mistakes that happened with our dad: being taken off drugs cold turkey, being given drugs he had bad reactions to, not getting some medications because of some inexplicable snafu. And each mistake had painful consequences for our dad.
Knowing your family as you do, you are in the best position to recognize uncharacteristic behavior (such as that listed below). If any of these changes should occur, or other unusual behavior that seems out of character for your parent, make sure you bring it to the attention of the medical team, and ask if there have been any changes in medication.
Reactions to Take Note of:
- Changes in behavior, such as violent outbursts
- Changes in cognitive abilities
- Changes in comfort level, such as aches, itching, sleeplessness, etc.
And keep in mind that medication changes (and potential mistakes) can occur when your parent is admitted to a hospital, when just changing floors in the same hospital, and then again when they enter a rehab or nursing home. A regularly updated list of your parent’s medications is the best tool you have to prevent any such mistake. And make sure to include vitamins, herbal supplements and over-the-counter medications (which can cause adverse interactions with prescribed meds), as well as any specific allergies.
Also, don’t assume that medications are being properly taken, as instructed, at home. Dosage instructions can be confusing even in the best of health. If need be, you can get someone to assist your parent, like a trusted friend or a nursing service.
Keep a list of all medications, and if you see a change in your parent’s behavior or comfort, ask the doctor or nurse if there has been any change to medications.
If depression occurs, first check with doctor to determine if it’s a side effect of the illness or medications.
"Five Must-Do's When a Loved One Is Ill" by Elizabeth Cohen, CNN.com
Aftercare Tips for Patients Checking Out of the Hospital
Aftercare Tips for Patients Checking Out of the Hospital
