How to help those we love
Welcome to part 3 of a challenging, health-impacting (sometimes life-threatening) issue – medication adherence. In laypersons’ terms, medication adherence refers to just how closely a patient follows the medication routine their health professional has prescribed. In this article, we’ll delve into ways we can help those we care for and love, to overcome the medication adherence issues they may be facing. Below are some starters:
- Instead of becoming frustrated, look at your own medication adherence record. It is unlikely to be perfect – the knowledge of which will help you empathise with the one you care for.
- If forgetfulness is the issue, help your ‘patient’ to be more independent by having reminders on hand. These may be in the form of blister packs from the pharmacy or day-of-the-week pill sorting boxes. Set the patient’s own phone or wrist-watch alarm (or get them to do so themselves). Set reminders on their digital calendar to order repeat prescriptions when they are due, and to make regular GP appointments for prescriptions where necessary.
- Where safe to do so, place medications where they can readily be seen by the patient. That way, there is a visual reminder to take them.
- If a patient’s vision is a challenge to medication-adherence, talk to their pharmacist to see if large-print labels are an option, or provide a magnifying glass and keep it close to medications.
- If swallowing tablets makes taking medication difficult, check with the patient’s pharmacist to see if it safe to halve or crush tablets (a pill-cutter can help), or if there is a liquid alternative.
- Be understanding when discussing medication-adherence and choose the best time to bring up the subject. When a patient is feeling relaxed (rather than in pain or distress) they will be more open to looking at creative ways to take their medication as prescribed.
- If cognitive impairment makes medication-taking a challenge, be patient. Offer the medication more than once within the prescribed time. Simply placing the medication within the patient’s reach (while keeping a watchful eye on their actions), can provide enough autonomy for them to overcome resistance.
- If you know resistance to taking medication is resulting in a patient secreting medication rather than taking it, talk to their GP immediately to avoid potential safety issues developing.
- Ask the patient to journal, at regular times of the day, when and what medication they have taken, and how they are feeling. If they are sufficiently motivated, they may come to see, for themselves, the benefit of taking medication as prescribed.
- Where safe to do so, link medication-taking to a pleasurable follow-up activity. You might say, for instance: “It’s time for your evening medication – once you’ve taken it, we can have dinner/go for our walk/Whatsapp the grandchildren.”
- In conjunction with the patient’s GP, talk to the patient’s home-help provider about the possibility of the home-helper dispensing medication when they call. This is sometimes a possibility when prescriptions are provided by a pharmacy in blister packs.
- Check the floor and the patient’s seat or clothing for dropped tablets – sometimes a patient may believe they have taken a medication when it has accidentally fallen out of their hand.
- To help with the swallowing of tablets, provide liquid in a safe form the patient enjoys (always check this liquid is compatible with the patient’s medications as some, for example grapefruit juice, may not be). Sometimes, simply providing fresh water rather than water which has been sitting in a glass for an hour or two, can make all the difference.
Medication-adherence can be deceptively difficult. With patience, perseverance, and understanding, we can help those we love and care for to help themselves.