Older Adults in Grand Rapids Hospitals: Managing Your Medication Safely

When older adults in Grand Rapids, Michigan are admitted to the hospital—whether at Spectrum Health, Trinity Health Grand Rapids, Metro Health, or Mercy Health—medication management is a critical part of safe, effective care. Hospital staff need to know every medication you take, because it can directly affect your treatment, recovery, and risk of side effects.

This includes:

• Prescription medications
• Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines (like pain relievers or cold remedies)
• Vitamins and supplements
• Herbal or “natural” medicines

Kent County Health Department and Grand Rapids Public Health also emphasize safe medication use for older adults, especially during hospital stays.

Why Many Older Adults Take Multiple Medications

As people in Grand Rapids age, it’s common to take several medications each day to manage chronic conditions such as:

• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Arthritis
• Breathing problems (especially during cold Michigan winters)
• Depression or anxiety

Many hospital admissions in older adults are related to medication problems, such as side effects, drug interactions, or taking the wrong dose.

Talk to Your Doctor Regularly About Your Medications

Before and after a hospital stay in Grand Rapids, review your medicines with your:

• Primary care doctor or geriatrician
• Pharmacist
• Specialist (for example, a cardiologist or endocrinologist)

Ask them to check that:

• Each medication is still necessary
• None of your medications interact in a harmful way
• Your doses are right for your age, kidney function, and overall health

This is especially important in Michigan’s winter months, when respiratory infections and falls are more common and medication needs can change.

Managing Your Medication During a Hospital Stay in Grand Rapids

When you are admitted to a Grand Rapids hospital, it is essential to tell staff:

• What medications you take
• How much you take (dose)
• When you take them (time of day)
• Why you take each medication

This helps hospital staff keep track of your medication schedule and avoid missed doses, double doses, or dangerous combinations.

Bring Your Medications or a List With You

If you are coming to the hospital (or to an emergency department in Grand Rapids), you should:

• Bring all your regular medications in their original containers, or
• Have a family member or caregiver bring them from home as soon as possible, and
• Give them to your nurse or doctor to keep safe while you are in hospital

Your medication may come from many sources, such as:

• Long-term prescriptions from your primary care doctor
• Medicines prescribed by specialists
• Over-the-counter pain relievers, sleep aids, or cold/flu products
• Vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements

Taking many different medicines (this is often called “polypharmacy”) increases the risk of side effects, especially in older adults.

Some Medications Can Be Harmful When Taken Together

Certain combinations of medications can cause serious problems, such as:

• Falls – from dizziness, sleepiness, or low blood pressure
• Confusion or “can’t think clearly” – sometimes mistaken for dementia or delirium
• Incontinence – trouble controlling your bladder or bowels
• Unsteadiness while walking – increasing the risk of fractures, especially in icy Grand Rapids winters

Tell hospital staff right away if you feel:

• More confused than usual
• Very drowsy or “out of it”
• Unsteady or dizzy
• Short of breath
• New or unusual pain
• Just “not right”

If the hospital team knows exactly what you are taking and when you last took it, they can adjust your treatment and reduce the risk of harmful side effects.

Always Carry an Up-to-Date Medication List

For older adults in Grand Rapids, it is very helpful to keep a written or digital list of all your medications and bring it to:

• Hospital admissions
• Emergency room visits
• Appointments with your doctor, pharmacist, or other health professionals

Your list should include:

• The name of each medication
• The dose (how much you take)
• How often you take it (for example, once daily, twice daily)
• Why you take it (for example, “for blood pressure,” “for sleep,” “for pain”)

Give This List to Your Nurse or Doctor

When you arrive at a Grand Rapids hospital, give your medication list to:

• The admitting nurse
• Your doctor or hospitalist
• The pharmacist who reviews your medications

This helps the hospital team create an accurate medication reconciliation—a complete and correct list of what you take at home and what you will take in the hospital.

Questions to Ask About Your Medication in the Hospital

You have the right to understand every medication you are given during your hospital stay in Grand Rapids. Ask your nurse, doctor, or pharmacist:

• Why am I taking this medication?
• What does it do?
• Is this a new medicine, or one I already take at home?
• Is it really necessary for me?
• What are the possible side effects?
• Could this medicine increase my risk of falls or confusion?
• How long will I need to take it?

If you are told to stop a medication you were taking at home, always ask:

• Why is it being stopped?
• Is it no longer needed, or could it be harmful for me now?
• Should I ever restart it, and if so, when?

Sometimes, especially in older adults, it is safer and healthier to take fewer medications. Your care team in Grand Rapids will try to balance the benefits and risks of each medicine.

Before You Leave the Hospital: What You Need to Know

When you are discharged from a Grand Rapids hospital, make sure you receive:

• An accurate, updated list of your medications
• Written information about each medication and any changes made during your stay

Your discharge medication list should clearly show:

• Which medicines you should continue
• Which medicines you should stop
• Which medicines are new
• The dose, how often, and how long to take each one

Take this list with you when you:

• See your primary care doctor in Grand Rapids
• Visit specialists (cardiologist, neurologist, etc.)
• See your pharmacist
• Receive home health or allied health services

Tell Your Healthcare Team About Any Changes

After you return home, inform your:

• GP / primary care doctor
• Pharmacist
• Home care nurse, physical therapist, or other allied health staff

about all medication changes that were made in the hospital. This helps prevent errors, duplicate prescriptions, or dangerous drug interactions.

Getting Help With Medications at Home in Grand Rapids

If you think you might have trouble taking your medications correctly at home, tell your:

• Hospital nurse or doctor before discharge
• Primary care provider
• Pharmacist

They can help arrange:

• Easy-to-read medication schedules
• Pill organizers or blister packs
• Home nursing or visiting nurse services
• Medication reviews (often available at local pharmacies in Grand Rapids)

This is especially important for older adults living alone or managing multiple chronic conditions, which are common in the Grand Rapids and broader West Michigan community.

Local Resources in Grand Rapids, Michigan

For questions or support with medication and older adult health:

• Your Grand Rapids primary care doctor or geriatrician
• Hospital nursing staff and pharmacists at Spectrum Health, Trinity Health Grand Rapids, Metro Health, or Mercy Health
• Kent County Health Department – information on senior health, safe medication use, and community resources
• Grand Rapids Public Health programs – may offer education and support for older adults managing chronic conditions

Key Points for Older Adults in Grand Rapids Hospitals

• Hospital staff need to know all the medications you take, including prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
• During a hospital stay in Grand Rapids, always tell staff when and how you take your medications.
• Taking many different medications increases the risk of side effects, especially in older adults.
• Some medications can cause falls, confusion, incontinence, and unsteadiness, particularly when combined.
• Always carry an up-to-date medication list, ask questions about any changes, and make sure you leave the hospital with a clear, written plan for your medicines.