Can anyone in the UK with a relative with dementia in residential care tell me if they have any experience of whether care homes are allowed to administer 'home remedies' such as Lemsip in the event of a head cold? I think there are care assistants working in care homes in this group too so would be grateful for advice ... Husband has young onset Alz and is in residential care and I'm getting different stories from different members of staff ... Thanks
Care home staff giving over-the-counter products to residents?
- Thread starter everdrew89
- Start date
My Mum has carers in her own home who will not administer over the counter drugs or creams, which in itself is fine but when I queried why they would not use Sudocream on her sore bottom (they left her in wet pull up pants) even though the original pot had been prescribed they said they wanted a prescription note on the one I bought. I went to the pharmacy who printed off the old prescription list I then wrote a sticky note and stuck it to the new cream pot and they are using it. What I find strange is that they will use body lotion, hair shampoo and conditioner without prescription, but not the E45 cream I bought. x x
As far as I know, care home staff have an absolute horror of giving any meds, remedies or vitamins that have not been properly prescribed by a doctor, out of fear of doing something wrong and making themselves vulnerable to potential recriminations. It doesn't matter if you can get certain things over the counter, if it hasn't got a doctor label on it, they won't use it.
So many over the counter medicines have potential inter-actions with prescribed drugs. Even things like Lemsip.
Mind you, I think refusing to use sudo-creme might be going a bit far.
Mind you, I think refusing to use sudo-creme might be going a bit far.
This is an extract from the Nice guidelines for managing medicines in care homes document:
1.16 Care home staff giving non-prescription and over-the-counter products to residents (homely remedies)
1.16.1 Care home providers offering non-prescription medicines or other over-the-counter-products (homely remedies) for treating minor ailments should consider having a homely remedies process, which includes the following:
the name of the medicine or product and what it is for
which residents should not be given certain medicines or products (for example, paracetamol should not be given as a homely remedy if a resident is already receiving prescribed paracetamol)
the dose and frequency
the maximum daily dose
where any administration should be recorded, such as on the medicines administration record
how long the medicine or product should be used before referring the resident to a GP.
1.16.2 Care home staff who give non-prescription medicines or other over-the-counter products (homely remedies) to residents should be named in the homely remedies process. They should sign the process to confirm they have the skills to administer the homely remedy and acknowledge that they will be accountable for their actions.
And here is a link to the whole thing
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/sc...over-the-counter-products-to-residents-homely
1.16 Care home staff giving non-prescription and over-the-counter products to residents (homely remedies)
1.16.1 Care home providers offering non-prescription medicines or other over-the-counter-products (homely remedies) for treating minor ailments should consider having a homely remedies process, which includes the following:
the name of the medicine or product and what it is for
which residents should not be given certain medicines or products (for example, paracetamol should not be given as a homely remedy if a resident is already receiving prescribed paracetamol)
the dose and frequency
the maximum daily dose
where any administration should be recorded, such as on the medicines administration record
how long the medicine or product should be used before referring the resident to a GP.
1.16.2 Care home staff who give non-prescription medicines or other over-the-counter products (homely remedies) to residents should be named in the homely remedies process. They should sign the process to confirm they have the skills to administer the homely remedy and acknowledge that they will be accountable for their actions.
And here is a link to the whole thing
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/sc...over-the-counter-products-to-residents-homely
As far as I know, 'home remedies' can be available in a care home. They are agreed by a GP, prescribed and stored as such. However, I also know that there is reluctance to have them, and that the medication should be prescribed to the individual if they are going to need them more than a couple of times ( eg paracetamol, should be made prn) I think it's always better if any meds needed are prescribed as soon as possible, for any individual patient.x
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