How to Avoid Medication Administration Errors

According to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), medication errors cause at least one fatality per day and injure nearly 1.3 million people a year. Americans 65 years of age and older are highly vulnerable to falling victim to one or more medication administration errors, especially seniors who live by themselves. Caregivers at assisted living facilities play a crucial role in ensuring residents follow all the proper protocols for taking their medications.

At the MorningStar senior housing facility in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, our team of highly-rated caregivers places a strong emphasis on educating residents and their loved ones on how to avoid medication administration errors.

Organize Medications

One of the most effective strategies to avoid medication administration errors is to organize pills to ensure our residents take the right pills at the right times on the right days of the week. To prevent taking the wrong medications, organizing pills by following a printed schedule can help a senior avoid taking the wrong drugs that have similar names. For example, a common medication error is taking a drug like Celexa when a senior is supposed to take a medication such as Celebrex.

In addition to following a printed medication schedule, organizing medications in a pillbox that is labeled according to each day of the week also represents a proven strategy for organizing prescription pills.

Understand Administration Instructions

Every prescription medication includes a label that presents instructions on how to administer a drug. How a resident at our assisted living facility in Rio Ranch takes a drug is just as important as remembering to follow a printed administration schedule. For instance, a senior might swallow a pill that is intended to be absorbed at a much slower rate under the tongue. The administration of a medication that is meant to follow a different route in the body can lead to serious health consequences.

Another important role of our team of caregivers is to help residents read and understand the instructions for administering prescription medications.

Confirm Dosing Requirements

Prescription drug overdoses represent the leading cause of fatalities caused by medications. Although prescription drugs are the most common cause of overdose fatalities, over-the-counter medications also pose a danger to seniors who do not follow dosing requirements. Seniors face overdosing issues primarily because of a decline in vision and/or memory. Many prescription drugs require each dose to be taken with a certain amount of water or at a specific meal during the day. If the dosing requirements are not fully followed, a medication might not work, or worse, put a senior at risk of developing a serious health problem.

Ensure Your Senior Prevents Medication Administration Errors

The MorningStar Assisted Living facility in Rio, Rancho, NM offers three types of living arrangements for our residents: independent living, assisted living, and memory care. Regardless of the type of living arrangement for residents, our team of caregivers ensures each resident closely follows medication administration requirements. Our commitment to providing superior healthcare services such as administering medications correctly allows you to enjoy peace of mind.

Learn more about our senior housing facility in Rio Rancho by contacting one of our resident services representatives.