As families in Ocean & Monmouth Counties navigate ageing loved ones, they often find themselves dealing with a complex picture of medications and health conditions.
Seniors who see multiple providers, take several prescriptions, and manage chronic conditions often need someone to keep track of everything. It’s not uncommon for them to appear depressed, withdrawn, fatigued, or confused – and while these could be signs of natural ageing, they can also be a side effect of their medication.
Sometimes it’s not a new diagnosis or disease that’s the problem, but rather a medication that’s not being used as intended. At Seawind Health Advocacy Group, we have an independent board-certified patient advocate who works with a pharmacist to help families gain a better understanding of what’s going on with their loved one’s medications.
What difference does a Medication Management Review make?
Seniors in Ocean & Monmouth Counties often see a whole array of medical professionals – primary care doctors, specialists, hospitals, and therapy services – each of whom may prescribe medication. It’s a recipe for disaster, with the potential for overlapping prescriptions, side effects, and drug interactions. That’s where a medication management review comes in.
A pharmacist or pharmacy team will review all of a patient’s medications, supplements and over the counter products and:
- Identify potential interactions
- Look at dosing concerns
- Review treatment plans
- Check for medications that may be contributing to depression or other cognitive changes
If these problems are caught early, it may even be possible to make some adjustments without needing to go down the route of hospitalisation.
Why Seniors Need a Medication Review
Families in Monmouth County towns like Freehold and Red Bank, and in Ocean County communities such as Toms River and Brick are often the first to pick up on some of the more subtle changes in their loved ones. For many, tapping into personalized elder care coordination and support services can be an important step in keeping medications and overall care on track.
If you notice any of the following, a medication review might be in order:
- Sudden depression or mood changes
- Increased confusion
- Frequent falls
- Loss of appetite
- Fatigue
- Sleep disruption
- A new diagnosis without any clear explanation
- Recent discharge from the hospital
The problem is that multiple providers often don’t have the complete picture of a patient’s medication list – which is why a structured review can be such a valuable tool in aligning the whole medical team.
How Seawind’s Independent Board-Certified Patient Advocate Coordinates the Process
Stevie Kiziukiewicz, a Board-Certified Patient Advocate in New Jersey, leads the way at Seawind Health Advocacy Group. She has a deep understanding of the entire healthcare system and knows how to cut through the red tape. What’s more, her independence from hospitals and insurance companies means she won’t push a particular agenda or try to sell you something that you don’t need.
Here’s how Seawind Health Advocacy Group typically works with families in Ocean & Monmouth Counties:
Step 1: Get all the Medical Records & Medication Lists in Order
The first step is to gather all the relevant medical records from a patient’s doctors, hospitals, and other providers. Stevie makes sure that the pharmacist has a full picture of what’s going on.
Step 2: Get the Pharmacist to Review Everything
We then arrange for a medication management review with a trusted pharmacy professional who will evaluate the medications, treatment plans, insurance coverage, and any potential concerns.
Step 3: Talk to the Medical Team
After the review, Stevie will consult with the healthcare providers to discuss the findings. If any adjustments are recommended, those conversations will be documented and shared with families.
Step 4: Support Informed Decision-Making
Finally, we give families clear education about treatment options, possible medication adjustments, and next steps – so they can make informed decisions that are right for them.
Where Medications, Depression & Seniors Meet
Depression in older adults can be a real issue – and sometimes it’s not a new diagnosis or disease that’s the problem, but rather a medication that’s not being used as intended. In other cases, it may be a medication that’s been added that has a side effect of altering mood or brain chemistry.
Families in Ocean & Monmouth Counties often feel that sadness or withdrawal is just part of ageing, but in fact it may be worth taking a closer look at the medication that a loved one is on.
The Value of Healthcare Advocacy in Complex Systems
Let’s face it – the healthcare system can be more than a little overwhelming. With so many insurance plans, Medicare, Medicaid, billing, and medical care coordination to deal with, it’s little wonder that people get lost in the process. That’s where an independent board-certified patient advocate comes in – someone to act as a liaison between patients, families, and healthcare providers.
An independent board-certified patient advocate can assist with many aspects of navigating care, and understanding the essential role of independent, board-certified patient advocates can help families recognize when to seek this kind of support:
- Attending medical appointments
- Reviewing medical bills and billing statements
- Assisting with insurance appeals
- Coordinating care among multiple providers
- Researching specialists
- Organising documentation
- Supporting discharge planning after hospital stays
Healthcare advocacy is not just a crisis response – it’s about strengthening care management over time.Stevie brings with her a strong background in healthcare administration and a certification which she keeps up to speed with, through ongoing continuing education – that way she’s always up to date with the ever-changing regulations and latest best practices in the field. Her credentials speak volumes about her dedication to upholding the high standards set by the Seawind Health Advocacy Group patient advocacy services.
With more and more job opportunities emerging in health advocacy, not everyone with a BCPA credential is a professional patient advocate – it’s worth taking a closer look at the credentials, experience and ethics of any advocate you’re thinking of hiring when selecting someone to work with your family, especially when considering Durable Power of Attorney, Healthcare Representative, and Executor support as part of long-term planning.
Supporting Families Across New Jersey
The Seawind Health Advocacy Group is here to help – we serve seniors, spouses, adult children and caregivers in both Monmouth and Ocean County. Alongside medication support, we focus on improving access to essential healthcare services for older adults, coordinating therapy, appointments and in-home care so that no one falls through the cracks. Our services are pretty straightforward : we can help with medication coordination, support patients and their families through hospital stays, provide guidance on insurance and also help inform treatment plans, all while considering home safety and household management support that can make day-to-day life easier and safer.
What’s more, patients and families pay directly for our services – that way we can keep things transparent and avoid any outside influence.
If it’s working with doctors and nurses, sorting out appoinments or reviewing insurance benefits, Stevie’s got the expertise, the know how and the steady support to help families through the really tough times, and to guide them through key considerations in aged care planning as needs change over time.
Request a Medication Review With a Pharmacist-led Consultation
If a loved one of yours is going through a tough time, struggling with depression, confusion or unexplained changes, then a review of their medication may be just the thing to uncover what’s going on.
The Seawind Health Advocacy Group can put you in touch with a pharmacist in your area who can review your loved one’s medication and work closely with their medical team to get them the help they need – all in Ocean and Monmouth County.
To get a medication review consultation set up, just give us a call at 732-245-0210. We promise to provide you with clear guidance, trusted advocacy and compassionate support – all from the comfort of your own home.
call 732-245-0210 or contact us for Help From A New Jersey independent board-certified patient advocate
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