Medicine Review at home?

[Sarasa]

Yesterday I had a phone call from my mother's doctor's surgery. Mum had been in there and caused a scene as she didn't think she had her medication. She isn't on much, Bendroflumethiazide for her blood pressure being the only one that I don't think she could not get over the counter. The surgery were worried, not only as she was being verbally aggressive but because she should have had plenty of tablets left. The receptionist explained that they were going to send someone out to do a medicine review at home. Any idea who that might be? They are going to call my brother or I to organise one of us being there when it happens.

 

[Helly68]

I would contact the practice and ask who would be doing the review, often it is the GP, though most don't do much in the way of home visits any more. My Mum is in a care home, we had a review done by the Community Matron, and this was very helpful. If you think your mother may be lacking capacity to manage medicines, pharmacies can provide tablets in blister packs, for easier dosage. You can also get a an LPA for health and welfare - like the finance one, which allows you to make health/treatment decisions on behalf of your mother if you believe she lacks the capacity to do this. It is a responsibility, but I have this for my Mum and though I try to involve her, having the LPA has proved very helpful.

 

[Sirena]

My mother is in a care home and her meds review is done by the pharmacist who works alongside her GP. Do you know if your mother takes her medication reliably?

I wonder if the scene about not having her meds was because she knows 'something isn't right' (and surely medication could make her feel better). My mother expressed this anxiety by repeatedly going to the doctor/A&E with mystery illnesses, which did at least put her on their radar so they could see the problems. I had regular conversations with her GP surgery, who did their best to help.

 

[canary]

My mum didnt take her medication accurately, even with a blister pack as she was having trouble remembering what day it was. She would take her meds and then 10 mins later she forgotten that she had taken them and would take another. Each time she was sure that the blister she had opened was the right one.

If this is what is happening then the only way around it is for someone to come and supervise her pills and for them to be locked away somewhere in between so that she cant take any more.

 

[Helly68]

My mum didnt take her medication accurately, even with a blister pack as she was having trouble remembering what day it was. She would take her meds and then 10 mins later she forgotten that she had taken them and would take another. Each time she was sure that the blister she had opened was the right one.

If this is what is happening then the only way around it is for someone to come and supervise her pills and for them to be locked away somewhere in between so that she cant take any more.

Yes,sorry, I should have made it clear that depending on the level of capacity, supervised medication taking may be the only answer

 

[Sarasa]

Thanks for the replies. Mum is insistent that she just takes one tablet a day when she wakes up. Recently she seems to have got very confused about time, and I wouldn't be surprised if she takes another one after a nap thinking its another day. I'm not sure that blister packs would work. Mum has very little eyesight so probably couldn't read the packaging, and like Canary says even if she did check with her magnifier would probably think it was the pack that was wrong not her!
We do have Heath LPA and the GPs surgery have been very good at contacting us when needed. It isn't officially activated as I think mum still has 'capacity' though a lot of her choices aren't sensible ones.

 

[Sirena]

For all your mother's insistence, I doubt you can rely on her word for it, she'd probably need supervising as Canary says. That's something you can discuss during the review.

 

[Sarasa]

I was contacted by someone from the Medicine Support Service and they are coming round the week after next to talk to mum and me about solutions. On the phone she was talking about Dossett (sp?) boxes, but I wonder if they would have the same problems for mum as blister packs.

 

[Rosettastone57]

I was contacted by someone from the Medicine Support Service and they are coming round the week after next to talk to mum and me about solutions. On the phone she was talking about Dossett (sp?) boxes, but I wonder if they would have the same problems for mum as blister packs.

My mother-in-law had one of these boxes delivered every fortnight from the chemist. She managed with them quite well but what we found was a slight change of routine and she forgot to take the tablets. Eventually as other posters have said it came to down to a carer supervising her

 

[canary]

I think that dossett boxes is the proper name for the blister packs - all the medication to be taken at the same time is in a blister and it is all labeled Mon, Tues etc and Morning, lunch and evening..

 

[Banjomansmate]

The Banjoman struggled with taking medication even with Dossett boxes. For a while I got around the problem by numbering each compartment on the back (paper side) in large felt tip pen, then each morning I would phone him and tell him which number one to open and to take that tablet.