The ever evolving electronic world provides applications for improving the lives of residents within an assisted living community. In a paper Medication Administration Record (MAR) environment, nurses utilize a medication cart and a large binder containing reams of paper with each resident’s information to complete a medication pass. Pages can become tattered and worn over time. With EMAR, nurses utilize a thin laptop computer attached to the medication cart for identifying and recording medication administration information.
Each resident on the EMAR application can be easily selected by the nurse and the current medication due for administration will appear. After verifying the information on the screen and the medication in the cart is correct, the nurse can proceed with administration, and then document the administration in the computer. While this may sound similar to the paper approach, EMAR has many checks and balances built in to help ensure that the resident is receiving the proper dosage of the proper medication at the correct time. The system helps to reduce the possibility of human error in the medication administration process.
EMAR also allows for improved communication between the community and the pharmacy. The system allows for real time recording, documenting and viewing of current medications, and simplifies the refill process. This helps to ensure the accuracy and efficiency with which medications are delivered to our community.
Overall, EMAR gathers, consolidates, and presents data in a timelier, more efficient manner then a paper system. This decreases the risk of medication errors, simplifies processes, and is a time saver, ultimately allowing nurses more time for personalized service to our residents. To learn more about how we utilize EMAR on a daily basis, please schedule a tour today. To learn more about all of the services offered at Berea Lake Towers, please click here.
