Medication management and administration is a major aspect in the way that we ensure the health of our residents. Some may ask, “How do you manage and ensure the protection of my (or a family member’s) medication?” To answer this question I will break my explanation into 3 separate parts being; documentation, physical security, and administration process.
Documentation plays a huge roll in the management of our residents’ medication. Each member in our home has a Medication Administration Record (or as many abbreviate it as MAR). These documentation binders are required by law in all nursing homes, memory care facilities, adult care homes, and AFHs such as The Promised Land Adult Family Home for each and every resident. The MAR is used not only to list the proper medication, dosage, and dosage times, but also has a grid in which the medication administrator (person handling the medication) initials to acknowledge the proper medication was given at the correct time. Not only is this documentation essential in our tracking of medication administration, but also is necessary in case of emergencies so EMT, doctors, etc. can identify what they have already taken to then assess what they can give them if additional medication is needed such as pain killers, sedatives, etc. The MAR also tracks the administering of PRN (as needed) medication, so that they are not given too frequently or too close in proximity of time if applicable.
Physical security of the medication is also important in our medication management. All of our medication is held within a locked cabinet. Each resident’s medication is held within labeled baskets on different shelves. This separation and organization helps us clearly distinguish whose medication is being worked with to help eliminate any medication administering mistakes. We also have a timer near or within the cabinet at all times which goes off at each time a patient’s medication is to be given. This helps us to achieve accurately timed administration of all medications.
Lastly, ensuring the right people are giving the medication is also very important to us. All staff that work with medication are either qualified to manage these medications (RN, LPN, etc.) or have been delegated to manage the medications. Nurse delegating is a process in which a doctor or RN instructs a qualified nursing assistant to administer medications. This delegation process is done with each resident and which each form of medication. This ensures that all delegated employees know the purpose for, side effects, administration techniques, etc. for all the medications they handle.
Here at The Promised Land Adult Family Home, we take pride in the way we care about our residents, especially the way that their health and medication is watchfully managed. For any further questions or if you are interested in our vacancies, please feel free to contact us via the phone number on our website.
The Promised Land Adult Family Home
Bothell, Washington
Comentários