Take one tablet, once daily.

It sounds straightforward, but it can often be just the opposite for elderly patients. Taking the right medications at the right dosages, and ensuring no drug interactions occur are frequently problematic for home care patients. Nevertheless, there are simple solutions home care professionals and families of elderly patients can use both to avoid related hazards—including falling—and to improve communication between nurses, physicians, patients and their families.

“Family members can take an interest, ask their grandmother or father for a list of medications, and check it out,” said Maeve Hiscock, a registered nurse in the Vancouver area. She suggests patients or family members should keep a current list of all medications, updated every three months, to give to nurses and physicians. It is also helpful to include a brief medical history and known allergies in this list.

Another important practice is to follow up with family physicians after hospital visits. Many patients who stay in the hospital either don’t have a family physician, or their physician doesn’t do hospital visits. During their stay, their physician is called a hospitalist. Hospitalists will send discharge reports—including a list of medications prescribed in hospital—to a patient’s physician. Following up with the family physician can ensure there is no confusion over changes in prescriptions or dosages.

Simplicity is key. “Use one pharmacy only,” insisted Hiscock. If patients haven’t told their home care nurses or their physician about all of their current medications, their pharmacist may be the one to notice a dangerous drug combination, or missing or duplicate medications.

There are also online resources to check for drug interactions, including www.drugdigest.org. The process is easy, though Hiscock points out that many elderly patients do not have internet access. Such websites may be better resources for family or health-care professionals wanting to ensure the safety of their loved one or patient.

Ultimately, communication is essential in senior care. “Home care workers are one of the best sources of education, providing information and encouragement… a lot of the time the community health workers become like family members,” said Hiscock. While physicians may only see a patient sporadically, home care workers are often involved in the everyday well-being of seniors, and can ensure patients and family members exercise caution with medications.