Do you take Levodopa or other time sensitive meds

January 30, 2020 Laura Louizos

Parkinson's Canada has launched a great resource and program to help healthcare providers and care facilities understand the importance of patients receiving specific medications on time every time!

If you take Levodopa or other time sensitive medications, this program can help you better understand and share the importance of taking medications on time!

Resources

Contact education@parkinson.ca if you have any questions

People with Parkinson’s disease need to get their medication on time, at home, in an emergency room, in a long-term care facility. This could mean giving them medication at a different time from the usual rounds. When people with Parkinson’s don’t get their medication on time, every time, Parkinson’s symptoms can get out of control and people can become very ill.

Parkinson Canada has launched the ACT on Time® campaign to improve the quality of life of people with Parkinson’s disease. We want to help hospital and care facility staff understand Parkinson’s better. We want them to understand what happens to people when they don’t get their medication on time.

If people with Parkinson’s get medication on time, this will:

shorten hospital stays
reduce the need for readmission after discharge from hospital
reduce the burden on individuals, families, hospital and care facility staff

People Living with Parkinson’s

Parkinson Canada recommends all people living with Parkinson’s to work with their prescribing specialist to find the optimal medication, dosage and frequency for them. It is important that you take your medication at the individually prescribed times. If you notice that you are taking your medication at the right time, but are still having difficulty controlling your symptoms, you should talk to your prescribing specialist.

As a person with Parkinson’s or care partner we encourage you to be your own advocate when you, or someone you care about goes into a hospital or long term care. Work with staff to ensure that medications are delivered on time – every time.

What’s in it for me?

Parkinson Canada has launched the ACT on Time® campaign to improve the quality of life of people living with Parkinson’s disease. We recognize that hospital and long-term care staff are challenged to provide care to many residents during their shifts. If medication is provided to people with Parkinson’s, on time, even if this means being administered at a different time than the rest of the rounds, it can make the job of the front line worker significantly easier.

While we know that it sometimes represents a change in thinking, culture and routine to make sure that people with Parkinson’s get their medication on time -every time we also know that it improves quality of care, and organizational efficiencies.

What’s in it for the facility?

The person with Parkinson’s will require less of the staff’s time and effort, enabling the healthcare team to spend more time with other patients. Implementing a system that ensures people living with Parkinson’s get their medication on time can reduce the burden on staff, make care of patients with Parkinson’s more efficient and allow staff resources to be dedicated elsewhere – thus, improving quality of life throughout the facility.

(In hospital and long term care) Patients who are better able to function, participate in rehab and avoid complications caused by immobility and system failure will see: shorter hospital stays, fewer readmissions and more positive health outcomes.

(For long term care specifically) In keeping with the provisions of Ontario Regulation 79/10 made under the Long-Term Care Homes Act; a key element of compliance is maximized patient independence and positive health outcomes. A measure as simple as ensuring staff take time out of rounds to deliver Parkinson’s medication at individually prescribed times will help meet these important criteria.

https://www.parkinson.ca/resources/act-on-time/