6 Questions to Ask About Medication Management When Touring Assisted Living Communities

Help with medication management is one reason many families begin the journey toward assisted living for older loved ones. Mismanagement of medications can lead to serious health risks, making it essential to choose a community that prioritizes safe and effective medication practices for your loved one’s well-being.

Asking the right questions during your tour of assisted living communities can help you find a safe and reliable option for your loved one. Here are six essential questions to ask about medication management at any community you’re considering.

1. What Systems Are in Place to Manage Medications?

A robust medication management system should include streamlined protocols and checks and balances, to minimize the risks of miscommunications and medication errors. The right system ensures your loved one receives the correct medications, on time, every day, giving you peace of mind that their health is being managed with the utmost care.

When discussing medication management systems, ask questions such as:

• • What long-term care (LTC) pharmacy service provider does the community contract with?
  • What experience does the pharmacy service provider have in ensuring safe medication management, and how involved are they in those processes?
  • What are the protocols for dispensing medication and monitoring resident’s adherence to medication regimens?

When asking these questions, your goal should be to gain a clear understanding of the experience, software and processes the community has in place to protect residents and ensure they receive their prescribed medications on time each day.

2. Who Administers Medications, and How Are They Trained?

Ask whether medications are administered by licensed nurses or trained caregivers. Regardless of who administers medications, ask about the level of training they receive and how often training is refreshed. According to a study published by the Patient Safety Network, less-trained clinical and non-clinical staff were more likely to make errors in administering medication to assisted living residents.

Talk to assisted living community management about how medication errors and emergencies are handled. It’s important to understand whether a community has protocols in place to address errors quickly and how they retrain staff to minimize repeat errors.

3. How Does the Community Handle Changes to Medication Regimens?

According to information summarized in the American Journal of Managed Care, medication errors fall into three main categories:

• • General medication errors involving individuals being given the wrong medication or wrong dosages
  • Medication errors related to transfers, involving communication issues when transferring individuals between levels of care or staff
  • Inappropriately prescribed medications

Studies on transfer-related medication errors found that up to 31% of cases involve a mistake during a transition in care setting. Asking about how an assisted living community manages these processes can help reduce the risk of errors when medication needs change. You might want to discuss:

• • The level of care coordination and communication with doctors, pharmacies and other providers that occurs
  • How medication changes are communicated to family caregivers and support systems
  • Whether a pharmacist reviews changes to support optimal safety
  • How medication schedules are documented and updated

4. What Is the Policy for the Management of Medications From Outside Pharmacies?

Being able to hold on to the familiar amid major life changes can be helpful. If you or your loved one has a trusted pharmacy you’ve used for years, you might want to continue using it for additional peace of mind and comfort. When discussing medication management with potential assisted living communities, ask whether that’s an option or whether residents are required to use the community’s preferred or contracted pharmacy provider.

Regardless of what outside pharmacies can be used, find out how medications are delivered to the community. Ask whether there is a chain of custody process to ensure medications are delivered exactly as dispensed. Ask if the packaging type is consistent with the community’s medication management system and who enters the medication order into the electronic medication administration record. Discuss specific delivery protocols if your loved one requires medications that must be kept at certain temperatures, such as insulin.

You may also want to find out whether there are any additional charges for using an outside pharmacy. The answers to these questions help you and your loved one make informed decisions when preparing for a move into assisted living.

5. How Does the Facility Ensure Medication Safety and Adherence?

In surveys regarding personal medication errors, between 75% and 96% of older adults admit to making mistakes with their medications on a regular basis. The support offered in assisted living for managing medications is often a huge relief for families. However, you do want to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to actually reduce medication error risks.

A great way to find out how assisted living staff ensure medication safety is to ask them to walk you through the process of administering medications to residents. You could ask, “Can you walk me, step-by-step, through the process you would take to give my mom her insulin?” or “Can you explain how you would give my dad prescribed antibiotics if he were sick and needed them?”

Consider asking nurses or other staff who would be administering medications to answer your questions rather than relying on answers from salespeople giving a tour or a community administrator. Listen for evidence of best practices, such as:

• • Double-checking written medication orders against what is being administered
  • Double-checking dosage amounts
  • Processes to confirm the right resident is receiving the right meds
  • Documentation processes to ensure a reliable record of what medication was administered

Ask follow-up questions, such as how the staff responds when a resident refuses a medication or how they address missed doses. Discuss how the community obtains a urgently needed medications after hours or on holidays.

6. What Communication Channels Exist for Families Regarding Medications?

When families, assisted living staff and residents work together through clear and open communication, positive outcomes are more likely. That’s true for all aspects of care, including medication management. Talk to potential assisted living communities about how they work to keep families informed about medication changes, adverse reactions, potential errors and other medication-related issues.

Specific details you might want include:

• • Whether the community’s contracted pharmacy provides direct communication with family caregivers about billing, benefit plans or medications
  • How families will be kept informed about medication changes
  • How you can participate in discussions regarding medication regimens
  • Who you should contact if you have concerns about medication management

Make Medication Management a Top Priority

Ensuring your loved one has the right level of support in managing their medication accurately and consistently is critical to safety. Good medication management also helps your loved ones feel their best, encouraging them to live an active and fulfilling life within their assisted living community.

Every detail matters when it comes to medication management, and the services provided by the community’s contracted pharmacy partner play a critical role in protecting your loved one from medication errors. By asking detailed questions about community procedures for medication management and the experience of contracted LTC pharmacy providers, you can make a more informed decision about the right assisted living community for your loved one.

Learn more about LTC Pharmacy Services.