Once your aging loved one is diagnosed with hypertension, they are expected to take medications for the rest of their lives. Their medication adherence is a very important factor in their quality life and health. For this reason, doctors continue to reinforce the importance of medication adherence for hypertension in order to prevent hospitalizations, heart attacks, or even re-hospitalization, as the case may be.

Because of this, hiring a home health aide in California is crucial in ensuring that your senior loved one follows through their prescriptions religiously. Hypertension is known to attack like a thief, but it can be preventable with medication adherence and a healthy lifestyle.

How bad can non-adherence be?

Before we talk about ways on increasing adherence, it is vital to highlight the seriousness of non-adherence. This occurs when your loved one doesn’t take their medications as prescribed, such as not taking the meds at all for whatever reason, taking more than one medication, or not following the prescribed frequency of intake. For individuals with hypertension, non-adherence is very common because this illness doesn’t show symptoms. The patient will be led to think that they are already healed when the truth is that, they will have to deal with the possibility of heart attack anytime. This prevailing thought that they can’t get hypertension puts them at greater risk with the complications and life-threatening consequence of hypertension. Hence, their medications need to be constantly monitored and adhered as much as possible. If this means getting the help of Skilled Nursing providers, then get such assistance.

How to promote medication adherence?

Now, here are some ways you can help your aging loved one to adhere to their medications and thus, prevent unpleasant and life-threatening consequences.

• Maintain a simple medication intake schedule.
  Some seniors may find their schedules complicated so they don’t want to take it at all. For instance, if they need to take more than one hypertensive medicine in a day, ask their doctor if it’s possible to combine these all together in one intake.
• Medication education should be part of the intake schedule.
  Continue to remind and reinforce to your loved one that taking their medications reduces their chances of having a heart attack. To provide you with regular assistance in educating your loved one, our skilled nurses providing home health care in Ontario, California can be of help.
• Integrate medication intake with their routine activities daily, such as taking a bath, eating meals, or before going to bed.
  When medication is considered as part of their daily routine, there’s a better chance that they will not miss it.
• Be proactive in reminding your loved one about their medicine.
  Whether you remind verbally, electronically, or on a written note, for as long as it helps them to adhere, it will be worth the effort.

Would you need assistance in ensuring that your senior loved one adheres to their hypertension meds? Our team at Cardinal Home Health Care is ready to be of help by providing timely reminders. Partner with us today!