Giving out medications

One of the jobs that every caregiver will have to perform is the daily dispensing of medications. Dealing with all the new drugs in today's world, this task can become extremely confusing. In a 24-hour period, one may have to administer medications as much as four or five times, possibly more.

This becomes a major battle when caring for Alzheimer's patients. They may argue that they already took their pills that morning.

Be sure to store their medication in a safe location; out of sight, out of mind. Leaving their pills in open view may have patients thinking they haven't taken them and possibly digesting an extra dose. This could be most dangerous; for instance they may be prescribed a blood thinner or some other kind of heart medication; the results could be devastating.

The caregiver also needs to be cautious when dispensing over-the-counter medication. One should consult with a pharmacist to make sure there will be no interactions with the prescribed drugs the patient is currently taking. Also, if the patient is diabetic, you need to watch all medications' sugar content closely.

Trying to juggle all caregiving duties at once has always been a difficult act. I found it very helpful to set up all prescriptions in a weekly container that has at least three compartments for each day. Not only is this less time consuming, but you will be able to notice when you accidently missed dispensing their medication at certain periods of the day. I believe this job should be left to one person who knows the pill routine by heart and will notice right away if something is out of order. Then, if needed, another person can dispense directly from the prearranged container.

Dealing with Alzheimer's patients, you will learn as the disease advances they will start to have problems swallowing. Be aware that not every pill can be crushed and placed into pudding. There are some medications that are in capsules that are designed for time-release. Once again, check with your pharmacist.

Many prescriptions also come in a liquid form. This became a blessing toward the end of my father's life. I never even told him what I was about to do; I just asked him to open his mouth and insert the medication gently along his gums; this made things nice and easy.

It comes to a point where you have to ask yourself if you are only treating the disease and no longer the patient. Have a discussion with the patient's physician. See if he or she still need be on everything currently prescribed. It may be possible they have passed the point where these medications are no longer necessary.

Figure out what works best for you, the caregiver, and the patient. I know first hand that dispensing medication is a task that is constantly on your mind.