Alzheimer’s disease is a debilitating condition. It’s a progressive brain disorder that gradually impacts a person’s memory and cognitive abilities. This disease is a common type of dementia that typically affects older people as they age, and can severely impact a person’s ability to carry out his or her daily activities.
One major problem is how a person with Alzheimer’s disease tends to forget his or her medications. If you have a family member suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, you can help your loved one manage his or her medication for Alzheimer’s in the comfort of their home.
Read on to learn more about managing medication for Alzheimer’s disease:
Three Types of Medications
Before we go into managing medications, let’s go first into the three types of medication:
- Prescription medications: These drugs can only be purchased when a doctor prescribes them. You’ll have to present the prescription to a pharmacist to obtain the medication, whether branded or generic.
- Over-the-counter medications: These drugs are readily available in the market, be it at a drugstore or pharmacy. You can easily and quickly obtain them without your doctor’s prescription. Some examples include cough medicine, antacids, or pain medications.
- Alternative medications: These medications include supplements, vitamins, and herbal remedies. It’s best to discuss these with your doctor when planning to take these alternative options for health and safety reasons.
Top Tips for Managing Medications
Now that we’ve identified the basic types of medication, let’s get into the actual management of your loved one’s medications. Here are some top tips:
- Use a pill organiser: It helps to invest in a pill organiser box that you fill up once a week. Label them accordingly, such as a.m. or p.m. You’ll also want to label whether the intake is daily, or weekly.
- Keep a routine: It helps to set a routine for medication intake. For instance, if your loved one takes medicine during breakfast, set the pillbox on the table.
- Set the alarm: It’s best to invest in a pill dispenser or a timer to alarm whenever your loved one needs to take medicine.
- Have someone monitor: You can take the responsibility of monitoring or have someone in the household monitor your loved one’s intake of medications.
Safety Steps to Take for Medication Management
There are also a few safety steps to take when managing the medications for your loved one’s condition:
- Make sure to always read the labels.
- Ensure that your loved one takes the right dose of medicine as prescribed or recommended.
- Keep the list of medications constantly updated.
- Understand the risks and potential side effects of medications.
- Watch for side effects.
- Make sure to refill their prescriptions.
Conclusion
Managing the medications of your loved ones for Alzheimer’s disease can be a difficult task. However, if you consider some of the valuable tips outlined above, the process should go smoothly. Just remember, now more than ever is the best time to show your love and care for your loved one!
Never forget your medication again! We provide a wide range of products for people with ailments that require regular medication. If you’re looking to purchase medication accessories such as automatic pill dispensers, get in touch with us to see how we can help!