If you’ve taken up the mantle as your parent’s caregiver, it will be your responsibility to ensure they are taking the proper medications at the instructed times. As most seniors require multiple prescriptions for various ailments, it can be challenging to remember what every pill does and their potential drug interactions. The following tips can help you stay organized and on top of medication requirements, ensuring you provide excellent senior care for your loved one.

How to Manage Your Loved One’s List of Medications

1. Create a Spreadsheet

Every medication your parent is taking should be listed in a single location. A spreadsheet is often the best way to organize this information. It should include categories for the brand and generic names, how much they must take, what time of the day it should be taken, and the name of the doctor who prescribed it. There should also be a special heading citing side effects, whether to take with food and which drugs it shouldn’t be taken with.

Make printouts of this information and place them in multiple places around their house, like the refrigerator, medicine cabinet, and bedroom vanity. This way, when other relatives or senior care professionals sub for you, they won’t have any confusion.

2. Set Alarms

On hectic or abnormal days, it’s easy for prescriptions to slip through the cracks. As missing doses of certain medications can make your parent sick, it’s essential to have your own reminders. Use an alarm app on your phone to prevent skipped or late pills. Create a special alarm for every medication and the times it should be taken. Title each alarm with the name of the prescription and include special details like the required dose and whether to take with food.

3. Use a Medication Dispenser

Pill dispensers are an easy way to track your loved one’s medication usage. These boxes are divided into multiple sections to pre-assign prescriptions for the upcoming week or month.

Depending on their medication requirements, you may need a basic dispenser with seven slots for each day of the week, or you might need a larger one with sections for morning, noon, and night. If you are worried about your parent’s memory and the chance that they might take pills off schedule, consider a locking dispenser that only opens at set times each day.

For extra help looking after your parent’s well-being, turn to the senior care aides at Extracare Home Health Agency. For 20 years, this home health agency has provided personalized senior care services to the St. Louis, MO, metropolitan area. Their highly trained and knowledgeable caregivers can visit daily, weekly, or bi-weekly to assist with personal errands, respite care, or nursing assistance. Call them at (314) 282-0071 to discuss your needs, or visit their website for a complete list of services.