Questions from Caregivers on Medication
When you’re caring for the health of a loved one, a lot of questions come up. We want to help make sure you’re providing the best care possible, so we’re answering some of the most common ones we hear from people in situations like yours.
Can I pick up my loved one’s prescription medication for them?
Yes, you can pick up their prescription medication. HIPPA regulations allow healthcare providers, such as pharmacists, to give prescriptions drugs and other medications someone other than the patient to pick up.
Is there a foolproof way to remember to give my loved one the right medicines at the right time?
Medicines often come with rigorous schedules, and it’s important to stick to them to maintain your loved one’s health. There are a few different way that can help caregivers make sure they give patients the right medication at the right time.
- Use an online systems to set up schedules. One good option is https://www.heart360.org/default.aspx
- You can also ask the pharmacist to write down a schedule for you so that you know when to give the medication. You can then transfer that to a daily calendar for you to reference each day.
- Pill containers can also come in handy. Once a week, you can portion out medication into a pill container that is labeled with the days of the week.
- Set an alarm on your smartphone or tablet that will go off to remind you when to give the medication.
Other good tips for managing scheduled medications can be found here: https://www.caring.com/questions/help-mother-remember-medication. You can also find more information about how technology can help here: https://www.caring.com/blogs/tech-savvy-daughter/tech-tools-for-long-distance-caregiving-part-iii
How Can I Manage Medication for an Uncooperative Patient?
There are many reasons patients do not want to take medication, but it’s important to their health that they follow treatment plans. One way to make it easier is to look into getting support from another person (i.e. a friend of the patient, spiritual person, someone in the medical field), both for you and for the patient. In your case, they can give you advice and be a sounding board for ideas. In the patient’s case, a trusted friend can help the patient understand how important taking their medicaiton is. For more advice, you can read answers to similar questions here: https://www.caring.com/questions/how-to-manage-medication-for-an-uncooperative-patient
I think someone is stealing medication. Can I report them?
Stealing medication is not only illegal, but it can adversely affect the health of a patient. If you think someone is stealing medication, you can contact the agency who employs the person you think is stealing and have them take on the case. In the meantime, if you think it is a nurse or other caregiver, you can ask for a different nurse to help with the administration of the medication. You can find more tips in the comment thread here: https://www.caring.com/questions/stealing-medication
Is it normal to stop medications in Hospice care?
Hospice care is usually an attempt to comfort a patient in the last few months of life, and it is normal to stop medication that is no longer doing anything for the patient in the time that they have left. Other resources about stopping medication during hospice include:
- http://www.hospicepatients.org/withdrawing-medications.html
- https://www.caring.com/questions/hospice-stop-all-medications
Make sure to check out our other posts reguarding frequently asked questions: