Dementia and Medications Management: Keeping it Safe and Simple

As an individual ages, managing medications can become tedious and confusing. Some pills must be taken multiple times a day, others once daily or even weekly. Staying organized and avoiding missed or mixed doses requires real focus.

Now imagine the challenge of organizing multiple medications for someone living with dementia. It is far greater. Because, as the disease progresses, tracking multiple prescriptions grows increasingly more prone to errors. And even a minor mistake can quickly become dangerous.

Here are a few of the most common risks that can occur when medication management breaks down:

• Missed doses: Skipping medications can worsen chronic conditions like high blood pressure or heart disease, sometimes triggering agitation or even hospitalization.
• Overdoses: Forgetting a dose was already taken and taking it again can cause serious side effects, potentially leading to organ damage. This can be especially dangerous with blood thinners, sedatives, or similar drugs.
• Dosage mix-ups: Taking the wrong pill or taking it at the wrong time can lead to harmful drug interactions and intensified side effects.

How can family caregivers help avoid the pitfalls of medication errors? We’ve summarized seven tips from the Alzheimer’s Association to help:

1. Organize medications. Use a clearly labeled pillbox or keep a daily checklist or calendar to confirm each dose is taken as prescribed.
2. Create a consistent schedule. Ask your loved one’s pharmacist when and how each medication should be taken, including time of day, with or without food, and so on. Then link it to a routine like meals or bedtime.
3. Give clear, simple instructions. For example: “Here’s your blood-pressure pill, mom. Put it in your mouth. Now drink some water.”
4. Pause if there’s resistance. If your loved one refuses a dose, wait and try again.
5. Address swallowing issues. Talk with the doctor or pharmacist about liquid versions of medications or whether a pill can be safely crushed and mixed with food. Never do this without professional guidance.
6. Prioritize safety. Store medications in a locked cabinet and discard anything expired or unused.
7. Keep emergency contacts handy. Post numbers for poison control and local emergency services where they’re easy to find, such as on the refrigerator. Be sure to call immediately if an overdose is suspected.

Effectively, managing medications for a loved one with dementia is indeed challenging, but it is critical to maintaining their health and wellbeing. Taking the time to organize the process will help you gain more control and confidence going forward.  

Our Anthem Memory Care communities utilize the latest technologies and regimens to help ensure that medications are organized and efficiently administered to our residents. We welcome you to reach out to any of our communities for tips and resources. We’re always here to help!