medication reminder

[redcrx]

Has anyone got any recommendations for a medication reminder?

My nan has to take a lot of varying tablets, shes currently staying with my mum (usually lives with my aunt) and whilst at mums we have found that she cant be taking correct medicationas shes had some bad reactions to her prescribed dose. The nurses here think its because she forgets to take her tablets half the time. She even came to mums with a pack of antibiotics (leaflet states for use with urinary infections), they were dated 3 days before she came and yet she hadnt taken any and didnt even recall being prescribed them.

Anyway, when she goes home we are concerned that she will go back to not taking tablets (they are for Diabetes and heart problems) so want to find her a reminder system. She has the special packs from pharmacy with days and times on but cant recall the day half the time. Weve tried to let her sort herself whilst at mums but she really hasnt a clue.

Can anyone recommend (ive googled and found many online) a system whereby she will get a reminded and either a flashing light or a vibrate alarm. She is extremely deaf even with her hearing aid in so needs to be something she will notice.

[redcrx]

mum has taken 2 weeks off work to have my nan stay. My aunt doesnt work at all but doesnt even check on my nan.

Itd be so much simpler if she did :(

crikey, all i did was ask about a reminder and we are now talking about who has time to call lol

[luxury]

so she is actually your aunts responsibilty when she's living there.... and if your aunt isn't 'caring' for her? then maybe a warden assisted home or a home where she is looked after properly? or....

Pagers,
Phone Calls,
Mobiles....

Hard isn't it?

Best of luck :) x

[luxury]

out of interest, is your aunt claiming carers allowance?

[4getmenot]

probably she'd claim anything she could

[redcrx]

its v complicated tbh. cant really go into it, but the nurses that go in are doing what they can to ensure she is properly cared for and are advising what help she can get.

id thought about phone, mobile etc but came to conclusion that the alarm system would be the best at this time.

[redcrx]

we are not sure, i wouldnt be surprised if she was though.

[Eve]

My mobile has alarms that can be set on a repeat setting and with different names for each thing and you could get one with a vibrate setting for when the alarm goes off and which says which medication to take.

They do these bubble packet things now for medication if you get them from places like Boots where they put everything in little bubbles for days and times.

[Eve]

Medisure

http://www.boots.com/wcsstore/ConsumerDirectSt orefrontAssetStore/Microsites/Pharmacy/106066_ BTS_Medisure_leaflet.pdf

[Eve]

Just found this, costs per month and I guess for txts as well...

http://www.remindmenow.com/content/membership. aspx

[redcrx]

thanks,
nan has the medisure packs for her regular medicines (the print on them is black on a blue background so we had to make a black and white frame for it so shecould read it) but was forgetting to take them it seems. Weve had all sorts of worries with her this week as she had her dose of diabetes medication increased before she came as it wasnt working. when she started taking it at right times at mums she has almost gone into a hypo with blood sugar very very low.

all we need is something that she wont really need to think about but that will just alert her.

[marie26]

Hi,
I know this is slightly late, but another suggestion would be to cut the number of tablets she has to take, or the frequency. A visit to the GP and ask him/her to go through her script, see what can be stopped, what could be combined etc so that she only has to take the medication twice a day instead of four times. Polypharmacy is a big problem for the elderly, and many GPs add extra medication without seeing the overall picture. All scripts should have a 'MOT' yearly I think,

[philandlil]

http://www.dudleyhunt.co.uk/alarm_reminders/ta btime_5.aspx