Medication Support

Medication can play an important role in helping people manage health conditions and remain well at home.

But medication routines can sometimes become complicated – particularly when someone takes several different medicines, has difficulty remembering whether a dose has been taken or needs physical assistance with their medication.

The right level of support can provide reassurance while helping the individual retain as much independence as possible.

Different people need different levels of support

Needing some help with medication doesn’t necessarily mean handing over all responsibility for it.

One person may simply appreciate a reminder that it is time to take their tablets. Someone else may need more direct assistance.

The support MasterStaff Healthcare provides will therefore be based upon an assessment of the individual’s needs and an agreed care plan.

Prompting medication

Where appropriate, our trained care staff can prompt an individual to take their medication.

This can be useful for someone who is able to manage and take their own medication but may sometimes forget when it is due.

A regular care visit can provide a helpful routine and reassurance.

Assisting or administering medication

Where an individual has been assessed as needing a greater level of medication support, appropriately trained and competent care staff can provide support in accordance with the person’s care plan and MasterStaff Healthcare’s medication policies and procedures.

The precise level of assistance will depend on the individual’s assessed needs, the medication involved and the agreed arrangements for their care.

Our priority is always to support medication safely while respecting the person’s dignity, choices and independence.

Working with pharmacies and healthcare professionals

Good communication is particularly important when medication changes.

Our office team can, where appropriate and with the necessary consent and authority, liaise with pharmacies and relevant healthcare professionals to support safe medication arrangements and clarify issues relating to the care we have been asked to provide.

This can be particularly useful when someone’s medication regime changes or where the way medication is supplied has an impact on their care.

Clinical decisions about prescribing, changing or stopping medicines remain the responsibility of the appropriate healthcare professional.

Medication reviews

If someone is experiencing side effects, finding their medication difficult to manage or is unsure why they are taking a particular medicine, they should speak to their GP, pharmacist or another appropriate healthcare professional.

This is particularly important if medication may be contributing to symptoms such as dizziness or an increased risk of falling.

Medication should not be stopped, changed or taken differently without appropriate professional advice.

Technology and medication reminders

Technology can also help some people manage their medication more independently.

Depending on individual needs, medication reminders, alarms and other forms of Technology Enabled Care may provide useful prompts.

These solutions won’t be appropriate for everyone and don’t replace human support where someone has been assessed as requiring assistance or administration. However, for the right person they can form part of a wider approach to maintaining independence.

A safe, person-centred approach

Medication support is about more than simply remembering tablets.

It means understanding the level of support an individual needs, putting clear arrangements in place and ensuring the people providing that support have the appropriate training and information.

As part of planning someone’s care, we can discuss their existing medication routine and establish whether medication support needs to form part of their personalised care plan.