Helping your loved one with Alzheimer's disease take their medications safely is one of the more important aspects of Alzheimer's caregiving. Medication errors are the most common type of error made in health care, and the Institute of Medicine estimates that 1.5 million preventable adverse drug events occur annually in the U.S. While proper, prudent use of medications may help your loved one's quality of life and avoid unnecessary hospitalizations and medical problems, the opposite may occur when medications are used improperly or unsafely. Too often doctors may assume you have a system to give medications and an understanding of side effects that you may not have. The following ideas and strategies are intended to ensure that problems with medications for your loved one are avoided as much as possible.
Be Proactive and Have a Routine
When it comes to dementia, many things can happen that are unplanned. Episodes of wandering, trips to the emergency room, visits to specialists, just to name a few. Therefore it's imperative that you keep an updated, written or typed record of all current medications in your wallet or purse at all times. This list should include the name and start date of the medication, dosage and frequency, and should include over-the-counter medications and herbal supplements as well. If your loved one with dementia travels without you, he or she should also have a copy of that list.
Using a pill container labeled by day of the week and time of day is important, as is supervising your loved one's actually swallowing the pill or capsule. If any of the medications are in patch form, be sure that the patch is removed and a new one placed at the scheduled time.
Be Flexible But Prudent
When it comes to medications for mood and behavior problems, it may be tempting to change dosages or report problems to your physician in a certain way in order to get the go-ahead to increase the dose. These are never good ideas. But flexibility is critical, as sometimes your loved one may just refuse to take a medication and you'll have to try again later.
Pharmacists are terrific sources of information about such questions as which medications can be crushed and which can be mixed with food. Usually capsules shouldn't be opened up and sprinkled into food, for example. Some medications are now available in liquid form, and medications available in patch form help with the high numbers of elderly people who have problems swallowing.
Take Safety Precautions
I can't tell you the number of times I've done home visits to elderly people and found bottles of medications, sometimes years old, strewn about the house or apartment. Locking your medicine cabinet or placing the medications in a locked drawer are essential, as is disposing of old or expired medications. Be alert to pills that are spit out, as they may be retrieved and taken by children or pets. Try not to leave your loved one alone with medication bottles in the room, and keep in mind that over-the-counter medications like sleep aids and pain relievers may worsen confusion and even precipitate delirium in your loved one.
Sources:
Alzheimer's Association. Accessed: October 25 , 2010. Medications
