August 20, 2025

Preventing senior medication errors starts with awareness, organization, and support.

Most families are focused on making sure their loved one is safe from falls or isolation. But there’s another danger hiding in plain sight: senior medication errors. And the results can be far more serious than many realize.

Each year, an estimated 125,000 people in the U.S. lose their lives due to medication non-adherence — more than double the number of annual deaths from car accidents. While that number is staggering, the solution often comes down to support, awareness, and a daily routine that actually works.

Common forms of medication non-adherence include:

• Not filling a new prescription
• Forgetting or skipping a dose
• Taking too much or too little of a medication
• Stopping a medication without guidance
• Using expired medications
• Mishandling medical equipment like inhalers
• Confusing one medication for another

It’s easy for these kinds of mistakes to happen, especially among older adults juggling multiple prescriptions, cognitive changes, or physical limitations.

At Continuum, we help families navigate this challenge with home care services that include medication reminders and daily structure. Here’s how we help families break the cycle of senior medication errors:

1. Overcoming Memory-Related Challenges

Forgetfulness, confusion, or dementia can interfere with even the best-laid medication plan. A person may forget to take a dose, or take it twice, thinking they missed it earlier.

Tip: Establish a consistent time and routine for taking medications each day. Link it to a predictable activity, like brushing teeth or reading the paper. Use a visual chart or labeled pill organizer, and allow a caregiver to provide friendly verbal prompts.

2. Navigating Swallowing Difficulties

Some pills are large, dry, or just plain unpleasant to swallow. But chewing or splitting certain medications can cause harm, especially with extended-release prescriptions.

Tip: Don’t guess. Ask the prescribing doctor if there’s a liquid version, dissolvable tablet, or a smaller dose that’s easier to take safely.

3. Managing Limited Access to Medications

If a person is homebound or lacks transportation, they may fall behind on refills…or stop taking medication altogether.

Tip: Many pharmacies now offer free home delivery. Our caregivers can also help by tracking when medications are running low, providing reminders that refills are needed, picking up prescriptions, and more.

4. Simplifying Confusing Instructions

When instructions vary across multiple prescriptions, it’s easy for things to get jumbled. That’s when errors happen.

Tip: Create a simple, one-page medication schedule. Include the name, dosage, time of day, and purpose. Color-coding or using a weekly pillbox can also help.

Every Dose Counts

Inconsistent medication routines don’t just increase risk; they can also reduce quality of life. For someone living with chronic illness, conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease can worsen simply because medications aren’t taken as prescribed.

Support makes all the difference. If your family needs help staying consistent with medication reminders and daily caregiving routines, we’re here for you.

Call us at (314) 863-9912 to learn more about our personalized home care services in Clayton, Manchester, Kirkwood, and throughout St. Louis and St. Charles counties. We can help you protect the health and safety of someone you love.