As we age, medications often become an important part of our daily routine. While they support our health, they can also create risks if they’re not stored, taken, or disposed of safely. Protecting older adults means sharing practical, life-saving information that helps keep individuals, families, and communities safe.
We’re putting a stronger focus on education designed specifically for older adults because prevention truly saves lives.
Why Medication Safety Is So Important
Many older adults manage multiple prescriptions or take medications as needed. With more medications comes a higher chance of mistakes. Older adults are also increasingly impacted by overdose—people ages 55–65+ make up 28.7% of all overdose deaths in Pennsylvania, and in 2020, 167,200 people aged 55 or older were admitted to substance abuse treatment, a 53% increase since 2009.
Common risks include:
- Forgetting whether a dose was already taken and taking more than intended
- Medications being accessed by grandchildren, visitors, or pets
- Unused or expired medications sitting in the home
- Not knowing how to respond in an overdose emergency
These situations are common, and they are preventable.
Keep Medications Locked and Secure
One of the simplest ways to reduce risk is to lock up medications. Even medications prescribed to you can be dangerous to someone else when taken while not being prescribed to them, especially children and teens. This is especially important for grandparents—235,515 grandparents in Pennsylvania are responsible for raising their grandchildren, and Pennsylvania ranks 7th in the nation for the number of children under 18 living in grandparent-headed households.
More than 50,000 children across the United States end up in emergency rooms each year due to accidental medication ingestion, making safe storage a critical step in protecting young people in the home.
Locking medications helps:
- Prevent accidental ingestion
- Reduce misuse or diversion
- Provide peace of mind when others are in your home
We provide lockboxes to support safe storage and make it easier to protect your household. Order lockboxes here.
Avoiding Accidental Double Dosing
Forgetting whether you’ve taken a medication can happen to anyone, especially when routines change or multiple prescriptions are involved. Taking an extra dose, especially of pain medications, can be dangerous.
Helpful strategies include:
- Using a pill organizer
- Keeping medications in one consistent place
- Writing down doses or setting reminders
Small habits can make a big difference in staying safe.
NARCAN: A Life-Saving Tool Everyone Should Know About
Overdose doesn’t only affect young people or those with substance use disorders. Older adults can experience overdoses due to medication interactions, dosing errors, or accidental misuse.
NARCAN (naloxone) can reverse an opioid overdose and save a life. It is:
- Easy to use
- Safe
- Legal to carry
- Available for free through Fake Is Real
Learning how to use NARCAN means you can protect yourself, a loved one, or even a grandchild. Free NARCAN can also be ordered for your home or organization.
Protecting Families and Communities
Medication safety is about more than individual health. Safe storage and proper disposal protect grandchildren, neighbors, and the wider community. When older adults have the right tools and knowledge, everyone benefits.
Bringing Education to Older Adults
We’re visiting senior centers and community spaces to offer “Protecting Your Medications and Your Community: Practical Steps for Older Adults.”
These sessions cover:
- Safe medication use and storage
- Proper disposal of unused medications
- How and when to use NARCAN
- Practical steps to prevent overdose
Our goal is to make this information clear, practical, and empowering.
Bring This Education to Your Community
We’re looking to expand this initiative and reach more older adults. If your organization serves older adults—such as a senior center, housing community, or faith-based group—we’d love to partner with you.
Visit fakeisreal.org to learn more, request lockboxes or NARCAN, or schedule an educational session. Together, we can protect older adults, support families, and keep our communities safe.
