For Senior Adults

Facts about Medication Poisonings in Senior Adults

• 50% of senior adults have no routine for taking their medicines
• 83% of senior adults routinely take at least one presription medication
• 50% of senior adults take three or more prescription medications, increasing the risk of drug interactions 
• 65% of senior adults choose non-child resistant closures on medicine bottles, posing a potential hazard to children visiting their home
• Up to 36% of poisonings in children take place in the grandparents' home
• Up to 20% of poisonings in children involve a grandparent's medication

For information on the safe use of medications, visit our Medication Safety page for senior adults. 

Senior Adults and Food Safety
Senior adults are more at risk for food poisoning than younger or middle-aged adults because their immune functions have decreased as a result of the normal aging process. For food safety tips, visit our Food Safety page for senior adults.

Senior Adults and Other Common Poisoning Hazards
Senior adults are vulnerable to the same poisoning hazards as the rest of the population. To view information about the most common non-medication poisonings, visit our Other Poisoning Hazards page for senior adults.

Free Senior Adult Poison Prevention Pack
The Carolinas Poison Center will send a free Senior Adult Pack to any individual upon request. The pack contains one each of our senior adult brochures, Medicine Safety for Seniors and Preventing Drug Interactions and Side Effects in Seniors, a card with two phone stickers, and a refrigerator magnet displaying the Poison Help number, 1-800-222-1222. To order a Senior Adult Pack, just click on the highlighted name, and you'll be directed to our online store.