What tips or tricks do you have to help keep up with medications?

leann.hubbard · September 9

Hello! My MIL has Mild Alzheimer's and at this time lives alone. We just started a caretaker 2x per week but she has meds she needs to take morning/evening. We are 20 minutes away with 2 kids in elementary school and sports. Any tips on what has worked? We have a regular pill organized but it isnt helping she is missing and or loading up.

Dusty217 · September 9

They do have a timed pill box that opens when medications are due. It's locked until then. Might be worth a try. On Amazon. Phone call at the time medications are due?

ARIL · September 9

This is a common problem, and I am sorry to say that if she is not able to do it herself anymore, there is no substitute for a supervising, in-person adult.

There are technological remedies (like the timed box), and for some people that works—but only for a little while. Videocalls at the right time might also work for a little while, but what if she drops the pill, or picks up the wrong one?

We didn’t get this one resolved until we moved my parent to assisted living with med management. And there was lots of worry and heartache before that. I am awfully sorry you and your family are facing this.

notequipped · September 10

The Hero medication dispenser looks impressive and the reviews are pretty good, too. It seems to be a really well thought out device. I have never personally used it. Depending on what stage your MIL is, it might work. I would probably go with some type of camera along with the device itself. Just know that it won’t be a long term solution.

H1235 · September 10

I found it wasn’t just about remembering to take pills, it was also about the pills actually getting into moms mouth. She would take the pills out of the dispenser then one would roll onto the floor without her noticing. She would pick them up to put in her mouth and drop one. Even if they were taken out of the dispenser she would sometimes leave them on the kitchen table untouched because she got distracted. I think the only way to be certain they are taken is to have someone there with her. In my experience the time between diagnosis and not safe to live alone is very short. Assisted living facilities can have a waiting list to get in. If your mom is a social person she might actually enjoy making new friends. I hope you can find a solution.

caregiving daughter · September 12

I agree with others that have said you MIL needs personal care relative to taking medications. Potentially even more significant is risks of someone knocking on the door and wanting to enter, someone impersonating a family member and trying to steal money over the phone, falling, walking somewhere and getting lost, as well as others. Taking that next step is so hard but it is also important.

I lived ten minutes away with small children. Even though I took my mom to all appointments, she read her calendar wrong and when I didn't show up for her supposed appointment, she asked a friend to take her to the doctor and told them not to wait. Following being told she had the wrong day at the doctor, she stood outside on a busy street, in 90 degree weather, because she couldn't reach me on the phone. A half hour later I got her message and picked her up, but the situation could have gone very wrong.

Jeff H · September 13

Early on, I took away all of my DW's medications and secured them. My DW was going to take a handful of one of her medications! Now, I dispense and insure my DW takes all of her medications. Sometimes they don't make it into her mouth, but I then make sure they do. I believe personal attention is the only way to be sure. In my opinion, I would secure all the pills for your MIL and have them dispensed under supervision.

What tips or tricks do you have to help keep up with medications?

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