• Older Americans comprise about 13% of the population but they consume over 30% of all prescription drugs.
• The average elderly person takes about 4.5 prescription medications per day.
• It is estimated that 30% of the older population taking medications have had an adverse drug reaction.
• Up to 20% of hospital admissions for the elderly are due to adverse drug reactions.
• It is estimated that over half of the deaths attributed to adverse drug reaction are for people age 60 and above.

The Journal of the American Medical Association recently reported that if adverse drug reactions were classified as a disease it would rank as the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. Drugs that are designed to improve health and quality of life can have the opposite effect when dosage amounts and frequency, drug interactions, noncompliance, confusion, and overlapping prescriptions come into play. This is why it is essential to offer seniors the support and supervision they may need to take their medicines correctly.

At Safe Haven Senior Living our caregivers are trained in all aspects of medication management. It’s our mission to administer medications in a safe, effective and ethical manner and we’ll see to it that no errors in medication are ever made. At Safe Haven, we refuse to let our residents become a statistic. That’s just one of the many reasons we call ourselves “Safe” Haven.