Safety Tips
- Give medicine at the right time and the right amount to the right person. Write this down in your care diary.
- Always give a pain medicine at the time ordered by the doctor. In the case of a PRN medicine (as needed), give medicine within the time window ordered. For example, a doctor may order the following: Give Tylenol with codeine, 1 tablet, every 4 to 6 hours for pain. A person might have taken the last tablet at 3 pm, so that means the next tablet can be taken as soon as 7pm or late as 9 pm. However, if a person is having pain, do not wait those extra two hours between 7 and 9, give the tablet sooner than later. Also, if a person is not having pain, you do not have to give the medicine until he or she needs it.
- Call the person’s doctor if you do not think that the pain medicine is working.
- Severe acute pain can mean a medical emergency. If the pain is new or different and the person is in distress call emergency medical services – 911.
- If a person has more than one doctor prescribing medicine for the same type of painful condition, this can be dangerous. Always have the person’s primary medical doctor know what pain medicines the person is taking.
- Be aware that older adults are usually prescribed a lower dose of medicine because they are more sensitive to it. If the person you are caring for becomes confused or begins acting differently, call their doctor.
- Always keep the contact information for your doctor and emergency services close by.