Health Tools

Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health.

	Actionsets are designed to help people take an active role in managing a health condition.
	Anxiety: Using Positive Thinking
	Depression: Using Positive Thinking
	Positive Thinking: Stopping Unwanted Thoughts

Dealing With Medicines

When you have more than one health problem, it usually means that you need at least a few medicines. Dealing with medicines can be one of the harder parts of your care. Medicines can save your life, but they can also harm you. You have to track them, know how to take them, and perhaps deal with side effects.

You and all your doctors need to be aware of all the medicines you are taking. This makes it less likely that one doctor will give you a medicine that interacts with another medicine. For example, one medicine may cause side effects that create problems with other medicines. Or one medicine may make another medicine stronger or weaker.

Older adults have to be even more careful with medicine. As you age, your body becomes more sensitive to medicines. As a result, the medicines may build up in your body and affect you as if you had taken a larger dose than prescribed. This can be harmful.

It's a good idea to:

• Ask your doctor about your medicines.
• Take your medicine as prescribed.
• Organize your medicines.
• Learn to deal with side effects and medicine interactions.
• Learn how to lower the cost of medicine.

Here are some forms you can use to track your medicine:

• Master list of medicines(What is a PDF document?)
• Daily medicine schedule(What is a PDF document?)
• Questions for your doctor about new medicines(What is a PDF document?)