Care Plan Question

Should you care plan each individual medication for a resident? We keep getting different answers from everybody. Thanks

[silverbat]

I care plan the biggies: coumadin, digoxin, antidepression, antipsychotics, etc. I think it would be nearly impossible, if not impossible to care plan each and every med individually.. I forsee a 1000 page care plan!!!

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

Nope....only the major ones....anticoagulants and antipsychotics. Our people average 28 meds ... the care plans would be the size of War and Peace.

[trayp33]

Psychotropics, anticoagulants, antibiotics, diuretics, pain narcotics and if they are taking a watchable combination such as dig and lasix or SSRI with Ultram. Rule of thumb was does it trigger on the MDS, factor into the fall risk or present an increased chance of adverse effect.

[SRK77]

So, do you care plan the target behaviors associated with antipsychotics? I am in the process of reviewing our care plans to include non medication interventions. Now if the census will stay up so I can have enough staff to implement them.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

You can care plan it with the drug or on a separate behavior care plan. Non-pharmacologic interventions should always be tried before medications. As you know, you have to have resident specific care plans since what works for one resident might not work for another.