You have known Miss Kelly for over 3 years, every bit you accept been caring for her and her sister. The ii of you take a special connection, and then it is specially distressing to you lot when you lot sentinel her slowly, over time, deteriorate considering of her arthritis and heart condition.

You lot have always aided with bathing, repast grooming, and calorie-free chores, simply she has taken care of her own medications. You lot know she takes a few pills in the morning, and you have been conscientious during her bathroom not to dislodge the medication patch she wears for her heart status.

It seems that lately Miss Kelly has gotten much weaker, and she struggles to get her medication bottles open and so break the tablets in two. She confides that she isn't always sure that she'south opening the right medication bottle because her vision is blurrier than it used to exist.

Most worrisome is that fact that she occasionally has trouble swallowing her pills, and even gets choked sometimes. Additionally, she has a new diagnosis of asthma and now uses an inhaler.

You report your observations to your supervisor, and changes are made in the care plan to include medication self-administration assistance.

You lot haven't helped Miss Kelly with her medications before, and you aren't certain exactly of what "assisting" with her medications actually means. Questions alluvion your mind:

  • Am I supposed to determine when to requite her medications to her?
  • Am I supposed to know what each medication is for?
  • What should I do with a pill and then she won't choke on information technology?
  • Are there things I need to check earlier I assistance her take her medications?
  • Practice I need to wear gloves when helping with her medications?
  • How do I employ a medication patch? Where does information technology go? What do I exercise with the old i?
  • How do I aid her with an inhaler? Doesn't she just exhale into the mouthpiece?
  • Am I allowed to help her with all of her medications? If not, which ones?
  • Are there things I should watch for after she takes her medications?
  • Exercise I have to certificate that I helped her take them since I really didn'tgive them to her?

If the answers to these questions are unclear, rest assured that yous are non alone in your confusion. There is a lot to know when assisting with self-administration of medications!

Your Abilities

Before you can assist with the self-assistants of medications, there are specific abilities that you lot must be able to perform. These abilities include:

  • Read and understand a prescription label.
  • Know what approved abbreviations your organization uses and apply but those.
  • Assistance with oral (mouth), topical (pare), ophthalmic (center), otic (ear) nasal (olfactory organ), and inhaled forms of medications.
  • Mensurate liquid medications, suspension scored tablets, or crush tablets as directed.
  • Recognize when to clarify an "every bit needed" prescription social club.
  • Recognize an society that requires judgment or discretion.
  • Safely shop medications.
  • Complete a medication observation record or other required documentation.
  • Recognize general signs of adverse reactions to medications and written report such reactions.

In improver, you must be aware of and follow scope of practice guidelines and organizational policies and procedures. Be mindful of the fact that practice guidelines and regulations do vary from state to country and from organization to organisation. Be sure you empathise how land laws govern your exercise, and check with your supervisor for description if you have questions.

Before You Begin

Before assisting someone with taking their medications, you must remember to:

  • Ensure this job is inside your scope of practise.
  • Cheque the individual's program of care and your system'south policies and procedures.
  • Requite medications within 1 hour of the scheduled dose or inside 30 minutes if a fourth dimension-critical medication.
  • Administer medications immediately afterward preparing them.
  • Encourage individuals to perform every bit much of the procedure as they are able.
  • Review the bones rights for medication assistants while holding the medications.
  • Consult a drug reference to familiarize yourself with unknown medications.
  • Talk over the purpose and side effects with the private prior to administration.
  • Follow all manufacturer's guidelines for medication administration, including if medications demand to be given at a different time than other medications.
  • Compare the medication label to the medication administration tape (MAR) 3 times.
  • Check the expiration date for the medications the private is taking.
  • Gather all necessary supplies.
  • Verify the individual'south identity using two identifiers.
  • Explain the procedure and provide for privacy.
  • Perform hand hygiene.

Other Considerations

Because some medications can cause problems with constipation and dehydration, providing adequate amounts of fluid is often essential.

Be sure to bank check the manufacturer's guidelines for recommendations for fluid intake with sure medications and follow them. The same is truthful when giving medications that must be taken with food.

Remember that everyone has the right to privacy. Information technology is your responsibility to brand sure that all medications are administered in a private environment.

For example, earlier giving a medication in front end of some other person, make sure the individual taking the medication is comfortable with this.

Yous may need to ask visitors to leave the room or take the individual to a private location earlier assisting with the self-administration of medications.

Remember, those who are not able to communicate or have mental or cognitive impairments should besides have their privacy and dignity protected.

Other considerations include:

  • Follow organizational policy and procedure for the disposal of all medical waste.
  • Administer each medication separately past using individual medication cups to concord each i apart from the others.
  • Recognize that certain forms of medications must usually exist given by nurses or licensed personnel, including those placed into a torso cavity and those that are injected through the skin.
  • Admit that certain pre-medication administration procedures must ordinarily exist performed by nurses or licensed personnel, including cess, blood glucose testing, and measurement of eye rate, pulse, respiratory rate, and blood force per unit area.

Be Mindful

There are many things you lot must be mindful of as you assist individuals with self-assistants of medications.

They include abilities and noesis that you must demonstrate before assisting with self-administration of medication, strategies you should use during the process, and things to watch for and report. Ever be aware of and stay within your scope of practice, task clarification, and capabilities to ensure the safety of the people you intendance for.

Medication Grooming for Caregivers

If members of your organization are worried about providing medication to those you care for, consider providing additional training to your staff.

Co-ordinate to a 2017 study, "Medication errors occur oft in habitation care and tin threaten the safety of patients."

Means to prevent errors in medication assistants include:

  • Increasing advice between specialists and home-care services.
  • Providing preparation to caregivers on medication management.
  • Setting routines for preparation, amending and administration of medicines.