Daily Reminders
A series of daily routines can be set up to remind your parents to take their medications. It's not a good idea to store medications in the bathroom due to the moisture buildup, but getting in the habit of taking medications when brushing your teeth is a good habit to instill.
Turning the bottle one way or another can be a reminder and ensure whether they've taken a dose or not. Setting the pills out with morning or other meal dishes is a good reminder as well.
Double checks can be done by making tick marks on the calendar, first when you set the pills out, then making an X out of it when the pills have been taken. This is also a good way of keeping track of what day it is and any other appointments or events that take place that day. It helps older people maintain their memory when they frequently make note of the day and date.
You, or even a family member who lives some distance away, can make daily phone calls to remind Dad to take his pills and have him do it while he's on the phone with you. This can also be a good double-check system. If you spoke, then the medication must have been taken. Two heads are better than one if there is doubt.
Daily phone calls or even an e-mail — as long as you receive a response back — can be used to ensure other treatments or procedures are accomplished. Again, utilizing other family members to help share in the responsibility can be very helpful. If Mom is supposed to change her pain patch every three days and your sister can make that phone call, it can relieve you of one more responsibility. It gets your sister involved and helps keep Mom independent.
Some pharmacies now color-code prescription bottles or caps so each individual's medications can be easily distinguished (unless your parent is colorblind). For example, Mom's pills all have red caps and Dad's pills all have blue caps.
You should also request nonchildproof caps; childproof caps can be very difficult for older persons to open, and consequently they often leave the caps off or loose, which may interfere with the effectiveness or shelf life of the medication. If small children are in the home, these medications should be secured in a locked room or cabinet.
