Helping Hands: Medication Aids

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Helping Hands Medication Aids
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Managing medications can be challenging

• Especially if there are issues related to
• Frequency of administration
• Number of medications
• Visual limitations
• Cognition
• Dexterity

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The aging process can complicate ones ability to
manage medications.

• List some of the
• health problems
• that may make
• medication management
• difficult for older
• adults.

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Were any of the following on your list?

• Peripheral neuropathy
• Macular degeneration
• Arthritis
• Cataracts
• Hemiplegia
• Parkinsonism
• Alzheimer's

• Each of these conditions presents with some kind
  of difficulty with
• reading medicine bottles
• opening bottles
• remembering when to take
• medications

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Remember the Person-Environment Fit Model?
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The person-environment fit model can help with
the selection of the most appropriate tool to
manage medications. Remember, the goal is a
balance between personal competence and
environmental press so the individual can
function at his or her maximum level of
independence.
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Many older adults find the childproof caps
difficult to open.
The challenge is the coordination, strength, and
dexterity necessary to open the bottle.
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Those with arthritis benefit from having the
pharmacy turn the childproof cap around so the
bottle cap can be twisted off easily.
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Medication organizers can help an older adult
manage complex medication regimens by providing a
tool to increase personal competence while
managing higher environmental press.
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But medication organizers are not all alike
So, how do you choose?
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Choosing a medication organizer

• Assess
• Dexterity of client
• Visual acuity of client
• Cognitive ability
• Clients daily routine
• Number of medications
• Frequency of medication administration

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7-Day organizer, four slots for each day.

• Clear box, room for small tablets and capsules
• Open one slot at a time and turn over to dispense
  medications
• Not good for larger medications (calcium,
  potassium)

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Open the sliding door for the day and time and
turn over
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These single slot boxes work well for

• Vitamins
• Supplements (calcium, fiber tablets)
• Daily medications
• Twice daily medications (e.g., white box for
  morning meds and blue box for bedtime meds)

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Weekly/Daily Medication Organizer

• This medication organizer is inexpensive, covers
  a week, and has 4 slots for each day.
• This one is good for the very independent
  individual who needs to take lunchtime or
  afternoon pills while out of the house.

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However, if dropped, problems could result

• if the medications vary from day to day (Coumadin
  for example)
• if visually unable to return dropped
  boxes correctly on the holder
  (could be replaced
  upside-down)

AM or PM ?
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Medication management can be extremely
challenging.

• When possible, see if number of medications can
  be reduced
• Have a sample of medication aids and see which
  ones are easy for the individual to use
• Assess clients usual routine to coordinate
  medication administration
• Once a day medications dont always have to be
  given in the morning, some can be taken at noon
• (too many medications at one time can interfere
• with ones appetite)

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Caregiver assistance

• Medication organizers provide
• a way to set medications up for a week at a time
• a reminder for calling in refills
• a way to check what medications might not be
  taken routinely

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If traveling, remind older adults to take

• their medication organizer
• their prescription bottles
• Written prescriptions in case of lost
  medications

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Helping Hands Medication Aids was created by
Catherine Van Son, Ph.D., R.N. for the Older
Adult Focus Project, OHSU School of Nursing.