How Do Care Homes Manage Residents Medication - Rosebank Care Home
Many older adults take medication every day. Some will have several prescriptions to keep track of, which can become more difficult to manage alone. For families, a missed tablet or an accidental extra dose can become a real concern when their loved one lives alone.

Moving into a care home means your loved one can have help managing their medication at the level they need.

So, what actually happens to your loved one’s medication once they move into a care home?

How Do Care Homes Manage Residents’ Medication?

Care homes keep a medication record for each resident showing what they take, the correct dose and when the resident is due to take it. Trained staff will administer and record every dose on a Medicines Administration Record. Residents who can safely manage their own medication can continue to do so following an individual assessment.

How Medication Is Given in a Care Home

In a care home, medication rounds usually take place at set times, with staff carefully following the set instructions recorded for each resident.

For every dose, the member of staff will:

  • Check the resident’s medication record and select the correct medicine.
  • Confirm how much of the medication to give and whether there are any specific instructions, such as taking the medicine with food.
  • Give the medication to the resident and make sure it has been taken as intended.
  • Record the dose on the resident’s Medicines Administration Record — commonly known as MAR.

The MAR records what actually happened, so staff can see whether a medicine was given and when. The CQC requires care homes to provide accurate medication recording because a missing entry can make it unclear whether a resident received their dose, increasing the risk of missed or double doses.

When a Resident Refuses Their Medication

There might be times when a resident misses a dose of their medication. In that case, staff will record what happened and check the instructions for that particular medicine before deciding what to do next.

But when missed doses start happening regularly, it’s important that carers also find out why.

For example, a resident who repeatedly leaves a tablet because it’s becoming difficult to swallow may need their medication reviewed to see whether a suitable alternative formulation is available.

Refusing medication is a slightly different situation because a resident who understands the decision they are making has the right to decline it.

If your loved one refuses medication, staff can explain why it was prescribed and discuss any concerns they have, particularly if they have stopped taking something they previously accepted. The refusal is then recorded, with clinical advice sought when missing the medicine could seriously affect the resident’s health.

How Care Homes Store Medication Safely

Care homes usually keep medication in a locked cupboard, trolley or dedicated medicines room, with access limited to staff authorised to handle it.

Some medicines need refrigeration, so staff store these separately in a medicines fridge, where they can check and record the temperature. Controlled drugs have stricter storage and record-keeping requirements, which means the home must keep an accurate record of the amount received, administered and remaining.

Independence and dignity are something care homes take seriously, so residents who manage their own medication will still need somewhere secure to keep it and that could be a lockable drawer or cupboard in their room, depending on the home and the medication involved. The storage should also prevent other residents from accessing the medicine while keeping it available to the resident who is responsible for taking it.

Medication Support Families Can Rely On

If your loved one has reached the point where keeping track of their medication is becoming difficult, having trained care staff manage it removes the risk of them trying to remember several prescriptions alone.

It also means there is a record to refer back to. If you visit and your relative seems unusually tired, for example, staff can check when their medication was given and whether anything has recently changed. Staff can then pass concerns that need clinical input to their GP or pharmacist.

Families can still stay involved by asking questions about their loved one’s medication and mentioning anything they have noticed during visits. Having that close communication with your loved one’s care team means concerns can be followed up and families can feel confident that medication remains an active part of their ongoing care.

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