Medication administration

noreika5 · September 14

Hi !
my mother has been getting very confused with taking her medication despite me setting up the pill organizer each week . It is clear I need to get some help because I can’t get there each day and night. What are your experiences ? Is this something Medicare covers ? Are there agencies that will just come in for this ?
thanks in advance !

SDianeL · September 14

unfortunately Medicare doesn’t cover it. Medicaid might depending on what state you reside in but she would have to qualify financially and there usually needs to be a medical need. Agencies provide care however they are very expensive and there is usually a contract and may be a minimum number of hours. If you contact them be specific about your needs. In Florida a CNA cannot dispense medication. It has to be a nurse which is more expensive. You could try contacting her county agency on aging to see if they have any resources. If your Mom is progressing to the point she can no longer take her meds, perhaps she should no longer be alone. If there were to be an emergency she wouldn’t know what to do or know how to call for help. Maybe it’s time to look into a memory care facility which is usually cheaper than hiring full time care. Sorry you are at this point. 💜

towhee · September 14

Hi Noreika5. No, this is not something Medicare will cover on an ongoing everyday basis. Maybe short term after a hospital visit.

Agencies are unlikely to come in just for this. Usually they have a 4 hour minimum for visits. It is barely possible that you could find someone, but most caregivers cannot actually give medications, they can only give reminders for medication you have already set up in the organizer. Some people have had success for a period of time using organizers that remind the person with dementia that it is time to take medicine, and that also will only release the medication for that time. Others have combined an organizer with reminder calls and cameras so that they can monitor that pills are actually taken. There are some posts on here comparing these options. However, these are not long-term solutions, because when someone cannot take medications they also start having other safety issues.

H1235 · September 15

I agree with what the others have said. I’m sorry, but it sounds like it might be time to consider if it is safe for her to continue living in her home alone. If a care facility is your plan B, you should know that in some places there can be a waiting list to get in.

ARIL · September 15

Agree with other posters. Trouble with meds is typically an indicator that the time of living alone is coming to an end.

My experience was that aides from an agency had a 16-hr/week minimum (four 4-hr visits), and they were prohibited from giving meds, although they could provide reminders to a PWD to take meds that someone else had set up in a pill planner. Medicare paid nothing for an agency aide.

harshedbuzz · September 15

@noreika5

This is a sign that mom's days of solo living are likely at an end.

She's going to need a human to supervise this. Medicare will not pay for this generally. You might get it covered post-hospitalization temporarily for an IV medication, but the reality is that rarely happens because of staffing shortages. With agency aides costing close to $40/hour, this could add up quickly.

The agency mom used for dad did offer 2-hour visits for certain clients for things like medication reminders/getting ready for the day or ready for bed. Generally, these folks were 5 or 7 days a week twice a day. Mom used Home Instead which is a national franchise operation.

HB

Medication administration

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