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Posted 02/01/2019 in Health

Medical Marijuana in Retirement Homes


Medical Marijuana in Retirement Homes

With advanced age, most people have a declined health. This is one of the reasons why seniors suffer from conditions such as anxiety, depression and muscle tremors caused by Parkinson’s disease and joint pain due to arthritis. The use of cannabis can help alleviate these among other problems associated with seniors. However, is medical marijuana allowed in Assisted Living Communities in California? Medical Marijuana in Retirement Homes Medical marijuana can be used by older adults to treat chronic pain, old aches and side effects associated with treating chronic pain. In this article, we will mainly focus on 3 different places where seniors reside:• Nursing homes –These are homes for seniors who need help when doing most of the things e.g. bathing and getting in and out of bed• Retirement homes – These homes are intended for older people who can take care of themselves but they are 65 years and above• Assisted living homes – seniors who live in assisted living homes can live independently although they may need help with management, medication, meals and transportation

Legality of Medical Marijuana and 420 friendly nursing homes

It is legal for any residents at a retirement home, nursing home or an assisted living home to use medical marijuana at these facilities. However, medical cannabis should be legal in the state he/she is living and he/she should have a legitimate prescription to use marijuana. Just like anyone else, senior adults benefit from the use of marijuana just like everyone else. The medication helps in pain reduction, improving their mood and mental state, inflammation and increased appetite. In addition, the use of medical marijuana has been associated with alleviating illnesses that are associated with old age such as neuropathic pain, muscle wasting, joint pain, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. This has made 420 friendly very common in most nursing homes in the US. In addition to all these health benefits, there are other unique advantages of allowing seniors and elderly patients to use cannabis in assisted living, retirement/nursing homes:a) Controlled dosages – it is safer for seniors to use medical marijuana in their living quarters because they will be managed by nurses. Their dosage will be managed just like any other medication and there is no chance for them to overuse or misuse cannabis. In addition, the nurses in these facilities are trained. Therefore, they know how to follow doctor’s prescription/ recommendations and give proper dosages at the appropriate time. In case there are any complaints or side effects, the nurse can be able to do follow-ups and report to the doctor for further treatment or diagnosis.b) Increased access – it is easier to access medical marijuana in a retirement home if one has a legal prescription. The staff members will either pick the medicine for them or drive them to a dispensary to get it. This is much easier and safer rather than the senior doing it him/herself.c) Safety and security – with a guarantee of trained staff and ease of getting the medicine, it is safe for seniors to use it in their living facilities. In addition, if they have an adverse reaction or emergency, they are guaranteed safety because they have trained staff ready to serve them. According to a survey conducted by AARP on medical marijuana, 18% of the respondents agreed that they know someone who uses medical marijuana for medical purposes. The statistics show that most elderly people who have chronic problems rely on medical marijuana to treat their problems. As more people know about medical cannabis, its use will increase since people are looking for ways to reduce pain, increase appetite or treat other age-related problems.

Challenges of Allowing Marijuana in Senior Living Facilities / 420 friendly nursing home

Marijuana use in nursing homes has some challenges which include the following:a) Smoking indoors is a hazard. Besides suffocation, smoking indoors can cause fires among other risks making it a huge challenge in living facilities.b) Complaints from other residents. This may be due to the smell or being passive smokers. Although medical marijuana has numerous benefits, not all seniors use it and this might make some uncomfortable mainly because of the smell.c) In most living facilities, residents who have a prescription or a recommendation to use medical marijuana is advised to do it outside. However, this might also be a challenge because residents are allowed to be outside at specific times depending on the living facility they are in. Smoking marijuana outside might contradict their treatment regimen posing a challenge. With all these challenges, there are several options which can solve them. The first option is switching to a vaporizer. A vaporizer is safe to use indoors because it heats the marijuana flowers rather than burning it. When the flowers are vaporized, the vapour is inhaled instead of smoke. You can have different flavours added although this option does not take care of the smell problem. The second option is using edibles. This range from brownies, gummies, candies, cookies to hot tea and coffee. There are numerous options to take marijuana orally. If you don’t like using drinks and edible snacks, you can use pills, tinctures or capsules as an alternative. Edibles is an ideal option because it takes care of the smoke, smell and risks of smoking indoors. In addition, eating or taking pills every day rather than smoking or vaporizing is a guaranteed way that people with debilitating diseases can perform well. Finally, for those residents who would like to use medical marijuana and they’ve never smoked in their life, edibles is a better option rather than the inhalation method. It is evident that medical marijuana has numerous benefits to elderly people. However, before seniors take advantage of medical marijuana benefits, they should see a reputable cannabis doctor, get examined and receive a medical card.  

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