Caregivers: Responsible Senior Medication Podcast


Cliff Keltner, a clinical pharmacist affiliated with Sharp, explains how caregivers can help seniors with medication in this Healthy Aging podcast.


Cliff KeltnerHow can I make sure my parents are taking their medication?
One way to make sure ... is counting the number of tablets left in the bottle. ... If the doses are being missed, he or she would have too much medication left at the end of the month. Another thing you can do is check with the pharmacy and make sure if all the medications are being refilled regularly and at the proper time.

My parents have difficulty opening their prescription bottles.
One option is asking the pharmacy to fill the medication in a non-child resistant cap. It’s a very common request and most pharmacies can make sure that all your medications come in an easy-open container.

Can the prescription labels be printed in a larger size? They are too small to read.
If a patient has difficulty reading prescription labels since they do come in pretty small print, most pharmacies can print them in a larger font. Another option is they have their family member or caregiver write the name of the medication, what it’s used for, and how to take it and write it on a piece of paper and rubber band it to the medication bottle itself.

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