Food Allergy and Medication Overdose in Home Nursing
Food Allergy in Home Nursing
Food allergies are very common among people of all ages. People who need assisted living may be exposed to foods that trigger allergic reactions in them. The only way to avoid these reactions is to avoid the foods that cause it. However, for the people living in care centers, they may not have a choice of what to eat (Hillstrom, 2012). Care givers of in such facilities should learn about the allergies of their residents and help them avoid them.
Allergic reactions can be major or minor. Minor cases can be treated or controlled by medication bought over-the-counter (Hillstrom, 2012). Serious cases need the attention of a doctor. The best method to keep allergic attacks at bay is to identify the foods that trigger the reactions and avoiding them when possible.
Medication Overdose at Home Nursing
As people become older, they become prone to various ailments. Diseases such as cancer, stroke and heart related complications strike more often in old age than when one is younger. These diseases require medication prescribed by physicians (Whitmire & Adams, 2010). People in nursing homes or those recovering in their residences should be monitored to avoid making mistakes when taking their medication. Well-run nursing homes for the old have clear procedures on how to give medication to the residents.
People responsible for administering the drugs must exercise care. Confusion in the process can lead to very serious implications to the health of those affected. Nurses who are overworked are more likely to make such mistakes that could lead to the loss of life of the affected person (Whitmire & Adams, 2010). While this kind of overdose is not intentional, some caregivers abuse their patients. Cases of abuse have been reported in a number of nursing homes.
References
Hillstrom, K. (2012). Food allergies. Detroit: Lucent Books.
Whitmire, J., & Adams, G. (2010). Unintentional overdose deaths in the North Carolina Medicaid population. Raleigh, N.C.: Center for Health Statistics.
