Make sure they are managing meds
If your mom is living at an assisted living home, you need to make sure they are managing her medications correctly. It is one of the most important parts of their job. That is something you should expect as part of the basic package.
I interviewed Vixcent Villaluna, licensee of a Sacramento assisted living home, for this topic. We discussed how an assisted living home takes responsibility for the medications. One of the services your mom’s senior care home should provide is medication management. Staff will forecast when a residents’ meds will run out. From the minute mom moves in, they take over this task. They manage her meds. It is part of what a responsible assisted living home does.
The meds should be in a centrally-locked area. This is in the assisted living home medication room. Meds are managed by trained medication staff. This helps ensure they are administered safely. Staff follows doctor’s orders. This also applies to any over-the-counter meds.
Everything in medicine management is documented and double checked. If you bring in a bottle with a prescription, staff should check that against the doctor’s orders. Responsible assisted living homes double-check very often. Medication is something that you definitely need to manage correctly. It is part of running an assisted living home.
The assisted living home where your mom lives should spend a lot of time making sure that everything is correct and accurate. It’s not something that you should take lightly. It’s a priority both in admissions and everyday operations.
Dedicated room
Make sure staff keeps meds in a dedicated room. That room is locked. Only a few caregivers have access into that room.
Make sure the assisted living home is compliant with the Health & Safety Code 1569.69. This requires staff training on meds. This is for any RCFE staff member that will assist residents with self-administration of medications. At a responsible assisted living home, staff training includes:
- 8 hours of initial training or instruction within the first two weeks of employment.
- 8 hours of hands-on shadow training in the facility prior to assisting residents with self-administration of meds.
- Passing an exam that tests the employee’s comprehension of and competency in the nine medication topics.
Managing meds should never be taken lightly. Make sure your mom’s assisted living home assigns meds the highest priority.
About the special guest
Vixcent Villaluna is the Licensee of Lakewood Villa, a premier residential care facility offering senior care and assisted living in Sacramento, California. Although many assisted living facilities are in Sacramento, you probably want a place for mom where she can feel safe, warm and loved. Lakewood Villa has staff onsite 24/7 to provide the assisted living and senior care to make mom comfortable in the Autumn of her days. Visit http://lakewoodvillacarehome.com/assisted-living-in-sacramento/ or call (916) 682-2867 today for a tour.
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