Unfortunately, those living Alzheimer’s disease or dementia—because of their conditions—do not always have much say over the types of medications doctors prescribe them. To explain, the issues they experience with their memories do not put them in a great position to describe or explain the effects of medications to their doctors, as there is always a distinct possibility that what he or she’s reporting is simply not correct. Consequently, those individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia are not always able to communicate when they believe a medication may be affecting them adversely. This can be a very serious issue, especially if you have reason to believe the medication may be affecting your loved one mood or may be causing him or her to feel depressed or overly anxious.
As a caregiver or the family member of a loved one with either of these conditions, a large portion of the responsibility of keeping an eye on your loved very likely falls on you. That said, when visiting your loved one at an assisted living facility or nursing home, you’ll want to bring any unusual behavior—especially behavior you believe is the consequence of a medication—to the attention of the personnel and specifically, your loved one’s physician.
One of the best ways to do is through journaling. Chances are, if you have a clearly documented events or descriptions of your loved one’s moods over an extended period of time, then your loved one’s physician may be more inclined to listen to your concerns regarding any adverse reactions to medications. Finally, if after several attempts to communicate your concerns to assisted living personnel (or your loved one’s physician) you still cannot get a change in medication for your loved one, then you may need to consider relocating your loved one to another facility. If you decide to take this route, however, then you may wish to speak with an Ohio elder attorney to explore other options, as any decision to relocate your loved on to a new environment has the potential to cause him or her a great deal of anxiety or distress.
