Small Town News

Protecting seniors by disposing of old meds

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The Sedona office of Home Instead Senior Care has scheduled Operation Medicine Cabinet for Friday, Oct. 2, from 1 to 5 p.m. to help seniors dispose of expired or no longer used medications. The event will be held at the Sedona Community Center, 2615 Melody Lane, Sedona.

Seniors or their family members can simply drive up to the location where the Sedona Police Department will be on hand to oversee the drop-off of medications into a locked container, no questions. After the event, the medications collected will be properly destroyed, according to a press release.

"This program is a way to help protect seniors from accidentally using expired medications as well as safeguarding them from the potential for theft of medications from their homes," stated Susan D. Abbott of the Home Instead Senior Care local office. "The project also can help protect the environment, including pets and other animals, by providing a safe way to dispose of prescription drugs before they are introduced into landfills or the water supply."

The average senior takes four to six different prescriptions a day and refills their prescriptions 12 to 17 times a year, according to the health-care company Arcadia Healthcare. Furthermore, 28 percent of geriatric hospitalizations are attributed to adverse reactions, the group said.

In conjunction with law enforcement agencies, Home Instead Senior Care franchise owners plan to launch Operation Medicine Cabinet throughout North America.

Considering such a significant impact on seniors and society, the Sedona Police Department considers their donation of time for the project an important community service.

Operation Medicine Cabinet is a trademarked program of Home Instead Senior Care. For more information about the project, contact JoAnne Haines at 649-3316. To learn more about Home Instead Senior Care, log on to www.homeinstead.com.



Copyright 2009 Sedona Red Rock News, Sedona, Arizona. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2009 Sedona Red Rock News Sedona, Arizona. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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