Aspen Leaf Assisted Living Residence recognizes that management of medicine – both for short-term use and for chronic care – can be overwhelming and is one of the most stressful tasks for relatives providing home care. At Aspen Leaf Assisted Living Residence everyone understands that giving medicine correctly is paramount for the best, and safest, care.

According Mayo Clinic Researchers, Nearly 70% of Americans are on at least one prescription drug, and more than 50% take two.

Aspen Leaf Assisted Living Residence will Be your Informed Medication Advocate!

First and foremost our caregiver’s responsibility is to provide a safe environment for you or your loved one. Ensuring that medications are dispensed properly is a priority. By asking questions in every step of the process, errors can be reduced.

All Aspen Leaf Assisted Living Residence Caregivers are trained “Qualified medication administration person” or “QMAP”. This means they have passed a competency evaluation administered by an approved training entity and whose name appears on the Department’s list of persons who have passed the requisite competency evaluation.

Aspen Leaf Assisted Living Residences advantage is this training is able to be completed in-house with our own approved entity. This ability ensures that as regulations or guidance is needed to provide the best services possible the education is able to be provided immediately.

Aspen Leaf Assisted Living Residence QMAP’S assist with administering and monitoring and can deliver medications using several routes such as the mouth, to oral mucosa, or directly to the skin, eye, ears, nose, vagina or rectum.

In Colorado, QMAP’s CANNOT GIVE medications via INJECTIONS or any kind of feeding tube, such as a Gastronomy.  If a resident is able to give injections such as insulin our QMAP’s are trained in coaching and monitoring to assist with our residents remaining as independent as possible to avoid needing skilled care.

Our QMAP’s are the eyes and ears of primary medical providers. They get to know our resident well enough to observe unusual occurrences, negative and positive effects of medications prescribed as well as any unsafe conditions. They report changes immediately to their immediate supervisor who will contact the residents responsible party, physician and pharmacy to discuss any concerns.  

Aspen Leaf Assisted Living Residence administration takes care of all medication ordering to ensure compliance with medication orders. We have arranged delivery from all local pharmacies and work hard in maintaining relationships with them to ensure continuity of care for you or your loved ones.

Beginning at a doctor visit, we will make sure there is no miscommunication on what the drug is, what its purpose is and if there are any potential interactions with other medications being taken.  We will always have your doctor sign off on medications, including over-the-counter.

Pharmacists are busy and mistakes can happen. Being diligent when picking up or receiving a prescription can also help avoid mistakes. Some steps to take include:

• Checking the label and the pill upon receiving.

• Making sure we can read/understand the instructions.

• Ensuring the pill looks correct.

• Counting all controlled substances at each change of shift along with antibiotics to ensure each and every pill is accounted for.

Finally, we keep track of medication to be taken – both time of day it should be given and the proper amount, to avoid both overdose or missed doses.  

Our QMAP’S are trained carefully on verify the correct medication and dosage is given each time. After administration they record what is given and the results of the medication if needed.

Aspen Leaf Assisted Living Residence will also provide a list of all medications taken to each doctor’s appointment and the pharmacy to ensure all questions are answered and all caregivers know exactly what medications are being taken.