Help your loved one become more independent with medication management.
Strokes, Brain injuries, Dementia, and other neurological impairments may be accompanied by a cognitive decline (think decreased attention, memory, problem-solving skills, etc.). This reduction in mental functioning is problematic when medication dosage, schedule, and type accuracy are essential to an individual’s wellbeing and medical treatment.
If your loved one has had an onset of cognitive impairments that are affecting their daily tasks help them with the following to improve their ability to successfully manage their medication:
- Create a “medication kit”- with schedules, pill organizer all in one box or container
- Use a visual aid such as a written schedule
- Pre-fill pill organizers 1 week to 4 weeks ahead of time
- Incorporate medication into a routine or associate it with daily activities (i.e. “after I brush my teeth I take this pill.”)
- Place medication kit next to objects used frequently (near the kitchen sink, coffee maker, refrigerator, T.V., computer)
Physical impairments may also affect medication management. If your loved one has difficulty moving one or both of their arms or their vision, help them with the following to improve their ability to successfully manage their medication:
- Open bottles with a lid or container below to catch any pills that might drop
- Use easy-to-open or non-child resistant containers instead of pillbox to make it easier to open/close containers with one hand or reduced grip strength
- Store a magnifying glass near medication bottles or create new labels with large and high contrast letters for vision impairments