“I take a water pill, a sugar pill, a pressure pill, a heart pill, a bone pill once a week and an aspirin.”

“I take a little round white pill, a big white pill, a round pink pill, another round white pill, a long yellow pill and an aspirin.”

“I take hydrocortiziacide for my water, metformula for my sugar, lissapill for my pressure,  attentionall for my heart, allen-on-a-date for my bones and an aspirin.”

“What’s the name of the cholesterol pill I take?  It’s white and small.”

“I don’t know what I take!  My wife gives me my pills.”

Mrs. Sweetie presents a china bowl with a colorful assortment of what looks like Sweet Tart candy. “Here are all the pills I take.  I take one of these, one of these…”

Or a shoebox filled with pill bottles appears. “Let’s see…this one is from my gallbladder operation…I know it’s old but I take one once in awhile when my back hurts real bad. Dr. Harry gave me these.  I keep them because he retired and won’t be giving me these pills anymore.”

Are you smiling and nodding your heads out there?  I know that many of you find these scenes familiar. While attempting to review and reconcile the home care patient’s medications, we get a variety of responses.  Many of our patients present challenges like the examples above.  Medication Management is one of the most important interventions a home care nurse performs.  In order to be effective, we need a battery of tools, scripts and skills to face these challenges every day.  At the end of April, CHAMP will be offering another round of our Geriatric Medication Management and Pain Management Courses.  Those who sign up by March 31 will receive a discounted rate.  CHAMP faculty and staff know what it’s like to practice home care nursing.  We’ve created courses, which will help you incorporate the most current evidenced-based practices into your day-to-day practice.

Jenny Wurksurbuttoff, RN…..CHAMP has a course for you!

Debra Bertrand, CHAMP Facilitator