Questions To Ask Physicians Concerning Seniors’ Medications

By Silver Sitters

There are some questions to ask whenever a physician prescribes a new medication to seniors. The first thing that you need to do is to know the name of the drug and understand the reason why it’s prescribed to seniors. Also, ask the physician how long the senior needs to take that new drug.

Note down the special instructions if any. For instance, the food or drinks senior needs to avoid while taking the medication. Or with which food to take the medicine? Also, ensure that the doctor knows if the senior is taking multiple medications so that he can look into the drug interactions.

Also, check with the doctor to know if the medication is working or causing problems for the seniors. Besides this, here are some questions you need to ask the physician concerning the senior’s medications.

Questions To Ask Concerning Medications

Common side effects of medications and what side effects need to be looked into.
When will the working of medicine start?
What to do if a senior misses a dose?
Is the medicine to be taken between meals or with meals?
How much water needs to be taken with medicine?
Which foods or drugs do seniors need to avoid while taking the medicine?
How to rearrange the medication?
Can seniors become addicted to this drug?

Tips To Get All The Information

Besides accompanying the seniors to the doctor’s appointment, you also need to ensure that you have all the crucial information. Here are some tips for the same.

Make notes

Carry a notepad and pen to jot down key information during the doctor’s appointment, or request the doctor to write down important points. If writing isn’t possible during an appointment, take notes afterward in the waiting room. Besides this, you can record the conversation. The recording is particularly useful for sharing appointment details with others.

Talk to other members of the team

Also, speak to the other health professionals in the doctor’s team to understand the senior’s condition and carry out the decisions to manage that condition. For instance, you can speak to nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists, or assistants as they may be able to give you more time than the physician.

Ask for written materials

Ask the physician if he has written materials such as any brochures or recommendations about the treatment or health conditions of seniors. It’s better to get a detailed brochure explaining the senior’s condition in detail. You can also ask for other recommended sources from the doctor.