When you were a kid, summertime meant freedom. School was done for the year, and you had three months to essentially do whatever you wanted.

Then came adulthood, and summer blended with the other seasons. Maybe you’d take some vacation time, but most days you were up early and headed for work.

Now that you’re retired, and aside from your medication dispenser, your life isn’t as scheduled. Summer is once again a time to relax. Just be sure to relax safely, with these summer safety tips for seniors..

Twice each year, the DEA holds National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, a chance for people to safely dispose of unused or expired medications.

But that doesn’t mean you have to wait for those days to come around to get rid of your unwanted meds. There are ways you can dispose of your old prescription drugs that are safe and environmentally-friendly.

While no one enjoys having to take medicine, in fact many Americans go out of their way to not take it.

According to the American Medical Association, roughly a quarter of new prescriptions are never filled, while patients flat out avoid taking medications about 50 percent of the time. This is what’s known as “non-adherence,” and it has consequences:

• About 25 percent of all nursing home admissions are due to people not taking the proper medications.
• Avoidable healthcare costs in the United States add up to $213 billion. Of that amount, $105 billion are costs associated with people not taking their medication.
• Non-adherence leads to 125,000 deaths every year.

If you or someone you love is worried about sticking to a medication schedule, a medication dispenser might be right for you.