An older adult who lives alone takes three different white,flat,unscored medications every day.He has trouble remembering if he has taken the correct pill at the correct time.What strategy would best help this patient maintain independence and safety in taking his medications?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Color coding the pill bottles has the most likelihood of success.It's essential to keep the medications in their original containers for safety.A system could be set up with the patient to make clear which medications he needs to take at what time.Placing the similar-looking pills in to a pill container could cause more confusion for the patient.Their identities need to be maintained for correct scheduling.Having someone administer the medications reduces the patient's independence and could become burdensome.Since the patient has not been able to manage his medications to date,an open-ended question about how he wants to identify his medications may be confusing.Suggesting a plan allows the patient to recognize a solution and agree to see if it works.

An Older Adult Who Lives Alone Takes Three Different White,flat,unscored