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Phone 1888-632-3261. That is their number for everything. I call this number to order the little boxes when I run low.
(the only thing Mom can come up with is "there was 13 pills in my box and I took
Some out.") I don't believe that. I am extremely careful. But she has to find a way to say "the sky is falling". Typical of her.
You have the key and can get a dose early if need to take it along when going out. This might help others too.
The one from Lutheran Services was great until she foud out she could change the sequence of doses. Been doing this for over a year, gets hard when she doesn't believe I can get them right. Can't afford to hire someone to come in just for that. But I'm 15 min. Away if anything goes wrong
If I did she would sleep all day. She figured out that she could turn it by hand to the next dose so it became useless at only giving the right meds.
Recently I got a dispenser that cost $99 to install and teach me to load it, and I will pay the $50 a month "rental".
It is called Philips (one L) Medication Dispensing. Machine. It calls me if she doesn't take the meds out when it dispenses them. Called me when her electric went off, (it has a battery that lasts two days.). It tells her to "drink extra fluids with your meds". Which she doesn't , but I can hope . Their main customer # is
1-888-632-3261. It might work for you. I would set it by time. The 8:00 is Dads, the 10:00 is Moms, 6:00 is Dads, 8:00 is moms, etc. you can do up to 4 doses a day. I believe it holds 48 doses which I don't usually have enough pills to do 24 days for mom . Best of Luck! I know what you are going thru.
(I'm waiting to see if she figures out how to manipulate this one. It is locked.)
I would just be the person dispensing it or have a reliable person paid to handle it each day for them.
Good luck
My sister made an alphabetical chart with a picture of each pill, so that putting them up was so much easier for both of us. We had a box for each of them that held their prescriptions along with the chart. These were put in a safe place that they could not get into. I hope this helps. I don't know what we would have done without those boxes.
I agree with CountryMouse about taking care of one's parents pills... for myself I don't live with my parents... I have no idea what pills my parents take as I am a senior citizen myself with my own variety of pill bottles, same with my sig other.... he and I have enough on our own medical plate for us to try to figure out my parents pill schedule.
Plus my parents refuse to move into a retirement community and insist on living in their large single family home... they are in their 90's... therefore, they need to take their own responsibility for inside and outside of the home since they won't move. It's tough love on my part. Once my parents decide to move, then I will help out more. The way it is now, it is just too tiring for me.
But the point is, I care for my mother 24/7 - this is my week off - and although, with a few memorable glitches, her medications are tolerably under control, I am there *all day long* and all night as well.
If you work, if you don't live with your parents, or even if you do live with them but, say, have small children in the house or something else that unpredictably claims your attention, it is just not fair for people to make airy remarks about taking responsibility for dispensing medications. Not when it is beginning to get complicated, and especially not when there are two different prescription lists, and even more especially not when some of the medications are potentially toxic to patients who haven't been prescribed them.
CathyGo, if you do live with your parents then I'd make no bones about it - remove the px meds, by main force if necessary, and put them in a locked cupboard. If your father complains tell him the innocent have to suffer equally with the guilty, and besides if your mother keeps on pinching his meds he won't be independent for long. Dispense as necessary - although if one of them's Lasix I really hope you're around at lunchtime or in the afternoon for dose 2 because otherwise your dad will be up and down like a whore's drawers all night long getting up to wee.
If you don't live with them then I am afraid you will have to source automated, tamper-proof dispensing boxes and fill them for them. It is very tedious and you need to concentrate. Do you live with your parents, or how often are you able to visit them?
Hmm. Business opportunity, here: does anyone know of a pharmacy that has thought of offering a foolproof Total Prescription Solution, including fancy pants boxes with the medications pre-loaded?
Now add to all that even a little confusion and you have the perfect storm.
The obvious solution is for someone else to fill the pill box.
Print out a list off the medications for each person in large print then the patient can read exactly the pills and doses. There may be pills that need to be split or different doses used on different days.
Any pills that are prescribed in a larger dose tablet to save money but need to be split for the correct dose should all be split when a new bottle is obtained. Sometimes a friendly pharmacist will do this or you can buy a simple pill cutter which contains safe concealed razor blade and makes an acurate cut. Put new labels on the bottle in big print with the name of druges, doses and times so they are easy for anyone to read. Don't obscure the original label.
This couple is no longer safe to be trusted with their own medications.
The safest thing is to remove all medications and provide prefilled boxes once a week. A list of each persons medications must be left in the home for emergencies. I would post one list on the fridge along with DNA paper if in existance. Each person should have a list of their own medications carried in a purse or wallet that can be given to medical professionals.A caregiver who is with the patient should also carry the list,DNA Poa etc and emergency contacts. A medic alert bracelet or necklace is also helpful and can be a life saver.
A loved one in the transitional stages of later life who is still relatively independent may feel that they ar being over controled. The caregiver can still carry lists and documents so they are readily available.
I will admit to some of the above problems and fill my pill box once a week. I have tried to get my husband to do the same and purchased a pill box. He does miss doses at times and has taken evening pills in the morning and slept all day. Closely guards his medications so I have no list. Every Dr visit he throws numerous bottles in plastic bags and heads off for some poor nurse to sort out and compare with his records. He is far from incompetent at this time but can become anxious and confused. For example this morning he had an 8 am appointment for a state inspection on his car. The service station is a five minute drive. He was up and dressed by 6.45 and left by 7.40. There is no way he would allow more supervision at this stage. I do manage money and mail or bills get buried and genuinely forgotten. When the driving gets eratic he will actually willingly hand over the wheel. This progression is such a process for everyone and an older caregiver may be experiences their own health problems. I do keep my meds completly seperate in a zippered bag so there is no change of mistakes there.
Filling my husband's box was quite a chore -- he took more than 20 separate pills over the course of 4 sessions a day. One of our daughters came over to fill two weekly boxes every two weeks. That was a huge help to me.