Published January 6, 2025
Do you have loved ones living in a long-term care (or nursing) home or assisted living facility? Do you have questions about their medicines? We received a report about a resident in a long-term care home who was mistakenly started on an antidepressant called trazodone, which is also used to help some people sleep. This medicine should have been given to another resident with a similar name. The mistake continued for a year until an annual review of the resident’s medicine list was conducted with family members and a pharmacist, and the error was recognized. Afterwards, family members commented that their loved one had seemed more tired than usual over the past year, but they did not know to mention it.
Here’s what you can do: If you have loved ones living in a long-term care home or assisted living facility, ask questions about any new medicines they may receive, or if you notice any changes in their behavior. When you are told about a new medicine for your loved one, be sure you understand why it was started. Ask if there are any side effects that you should watch for once the new medicine is started. If you notice a change in your family member’s health or behavior, let the healthcare team know right away. Ask if there was a recent change in their medicines (that you were not told about) that might have caused it. Let the healthcare team know that you want to be involved in your loved one’s medication review. Ask the healthcare team when the next review with the pharmacist will take place. A pharmacist is usually onsite monthly to review each resident’s medicines. However, feel free to ask questions about your loved one’s medicines at any time. This is especially important if your family member was recently in the hospital, as changes may have been made during their hospital stay.
