As a senior community member, it is important to ensure that you are getting the medications you need to stay healthy. This can be difficult for some golden age adults who refuse to take their medication because they do not believe in pharmaceuticals or cannot afford them. Although this is a serious issue, there are ways that senior living communities in Long Beach, IN, can address this problem and help out residents who may be struggling with medication refusal.
In this blog post, we’ll talk about how you can help your loved ones overcome any struggles they may have with taking their prescriptions and what retirement communities can do to ensure their residents get the treatment they need even if they decide not to take them.
After reading this article, you should be able to handle better medication refusals in your retirement communities or nursing homes.
Find Which Medication The Patient Is Refusing And Why
The first step in finding a solution is to determine why your patient is refusing medication. Is it that they don’t believe it will work? Do they not want to take pills because of their appearance or taste? Or could something else be going on, like forgetfulness or difficulty swallowing?
Once you know what’s behind the refusal, ask the patient about the side effects of previous medications. If this is a new drug for them, find out if any other alternatives might work better for them—your pharmacist can help with this. It’s also important to make sure they understand how long they need to take this medicine before stopping (if at all).
If someone living in a retirement community refuses medication for mental health issues such as depression or anxiety, it could be due to financial reasons (such as not wanting Medicare coverage), religious beliefs (like Jehovah’s Witnesses), personal reasons related to their life experience (e.g., having been abused by someone who had access), or something else entirely unrelated (e.g., having lived with an untreated illness for so long that they’ve become accustomed).
Perform A Thorough Evaluation Of The Resident’s Records And History
In order to determine the best course of action, you’ll need to perform a thorough evaluation of the medical records and history. This is where it all starts: reviewing their inpatient stay, outpatient visits, and any other documentation their physicians have provided. You should also talk with the resident’s treating physician (if they can) to gain insight into why they are refusing treatment. Finally, ask family members or others close to your resident for their input on this issue.
Have A Conversation With The Patient To Uncover Why They’re Refusing Treatment
The best way to handle medication refusal is to converse with the patient. While it may be tempting to send them off with their refills and hope for the best, you must take time to listen and understand where they’re coming from. Ask them why they don’t want to take the medication, what they expect will happen if they don’t take it, how they feel about the medication itself and whether there is anything else you can do differently so that taking their prescription is more comfortable for them.
Conclusion
Medication refusals are a common problem in nursing homes and retirement communities. Residents may decide to stop taking their medication or forget to take it together. Either way, this can lead to serious health concerns if left unchecked.
The key to handling a medication refusal is communication. Find out why the resident refuses the medication and what their concerns are. Then, try to address these concerns in a way that is respectful of their personal beliefs.
