Simple Guide to Medication Management. Parkinson’s and Dementia

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I find that as my husband’s Parkinson’s disease and dementia has progressed so has the amount of medication he takes increased. He is like a walking pharmacy! As carers we are expected to educate ourselves and understand what we are doing on all levels. As my husband’s dementia has taken hold, his ability to manage his own medication has gone. I don’t know about you but as well as the emotional toll in accepting that this is where we are at, we now have to add this additional responsibility to our never ending list.

Never fear, here are my tips based on my experiences as a carer. Everyone is different, but these are tried and tested solutions that I have found useful. I have found that as his Parkinson’s disease and dementia progressed I have had to adapt and make changes to his regime.

As a carer we become all things; one of those things being a pharmacist. We have to be the expert on managing their medication, understanding all the side effects and liaising with the relevant professionals. Whilst we don’t often like to think of ourselves as a carer, we are. Sadly, but unavoidably, as the illness progresses so does our relationship change. That in itself is another topic for discussion. We have to be basically be that rainbow in their cloud.

Tips on Managing medication

Taking on the role of managing their medication is challenging. Particularly if they have to take it several times a day. Anyone who cares and supports someone with Parkinson’s disease will know that Parkinson’s medication is time specific which is a challenge in itself. If they also have dementia it makes it doubly difficult. Although even if they do not have dementia, the cognitive changes are also challenging and you find yourself having to take on the role of managing this. Believe me I know! Emotionally I found this quite hard as I felt it was another step away from being a wife; slipping ever deeper into the carer world. However as we do I took on the challenge.

The first step I found was to ensure that he took his medication at the right time as prescribed. Initially he was able to take his medication with guidance and prompts and wanted to ensure that he still had a level of independence. Over time sadly, he was unable to take them independently and I now have to administer them to him from his blister packs. Wherever you are in your caring journey some of these tips you may find useful. I found that these tips below have worked for me.

Benefits of using blister packs to manage medication

Often called blister packs, multi-dose packaging, pill packets, or pre-sorted daily med packs, this medication management tool involves creating individual packs of medication either daily or weekly.  The benefits I have found are that are:

• Easy to double check that you haven’t missed a dose
• Having all your medication sorted out is a huge time saver and easier to manage 
• Reduces the chances of accidentally taking the wrong medication  
• It’s more convenient for the person taking the medication
• Maintains a level of independence for as long as possible
• Some people with arthritis may find it easier to open the pouches/blister packs than a traditional bill box 

Tip one

Speak to your GP and pharmacist and request that medication be dispensed into blister packs. This was a great help in monitoring compliance and a prompt to help him to take it correctly. These are great as the instructions and medication information is attached to the box. I also found that blister packs are fantastic for when they go into hospital or respite as all the information including your GP details are there. Blister packs are free and so much easier than all those white boxes of tablets that you get.

Tip two

Buy a dosette box.

You can buy these from any chemist or chain store. I recommend an alarmed one which you can find online, they range from being relatively cheap to expensive, depending on your preferences and they can be set for administration times which I have found to be really useful when out and about. You often find that the alarm is quite loud too. They have small compartments that show which pills need to be taken.

Tip 3

Make friends with your local pharmacist at the chemist, they will become your best contact when trying to sort out medication, chasing prescriptions and guidance when you cannot get hold of your GP, consultant or Parkinson’s nurse.

Tip 4

Keep on top of appointments with the Parkinson’s nurse and Neurologist. Appointments are like gold dust. You usually would see them 6 monthly . For example we see the Parkinson’s nurse every 6 months in-between the Neurologist. Make a list before you go of what questions you want to ask about medication, side effects, symptoms both physically and cognitively. Also note down any changes in behaviours or symptoms and make them aware; remember, they only see you 6 monthly so if you don’t tell them they will not know.

Tip 5

Keep all medication safe and in a storage bag. Particularly useful if going out either for a few hours or a day and if you go on holiday even. Even more essential if they have to go into hospital or respite as you may or may not have found that not all clinical staff are aware of the importance of them taking their medication properly and ON TIME!!!

I don’t know about you but I often find myself browsing the internet for the right accessories, ideas on making my life easier. On one ocassion I was looking for the right medication bag big enough, practical but stylish for my husband’s medication but could not find what I was looking for. As a crafter (being the craftycarer!!) One of the items I decided to make was a medication bag which was suitable for our needs. I have added this to my Etsy shop and you can click direct to them by clicking on the medication bag link.

Pros and cons of a medication bag

Pros:

They can help you to keep track of the medication.

They keep it all in one safe place either at home, out and about, holidays, hospital or respite

Makes medication much more accessible

Cons:

Can fall out or lost if not zipped up or tops of bottles not secure

Can become mixed up if not in boxes, blister pack or a dosette box

Too many compartments can become confusing.

I do hope this brief guide has proved useful in helping you on your way to supporting and managing the medication. If you have any tips that you want to share please do! We are all learning. As they say, sharing is caring. If you know of any other carers out there who may benefit from my blog please share!!