A Survival Guide to Medication Management

Create and maintain a list of meds

With a comprehensive list, it's less likely you'll forget anything while filling the pillboxes. It also helps ensure that any additional caregivers or an emergency-response person can easily find the information.

I recommend making a chart or spreadsheet with at least these categories:

• Name of medication or supplement and the strength (e.g., 600 mg tablets)
• Date when medication or supplement was started (or ended if you keep the list for medical history)
• Prescribing doctor's name and phone number
• Purpose (blood pressure, thyroid, dementia, blood thinner, pain, etc.)
• Dosage (for example: 600 mg, 1x/day; 25 mg, 2x/day. You can also specify one pill or two — or puffs, sprays, etc.— depending on the medication)
• Comments (such as the generic name, special instructions, refill dates or auto-refill information)

I kept a copy of my list in a folder to bring for doctors’ appointments or hospital visits. (Bonus: Medical staff will be thrilled and impressed that you have all of this necessary information at your fingertips. I received a lot of kudos from my parents’ doctors over the years!)

Create medication reminders

Develop a plan for how your loved ones will be reminded to take their medications at the correct times. If they have 24/7 care, then family or paid caregivers can do this. If they are expected to take medications independently, you might call or text them or hire a service to do so.

Another option is a pill dispenser or app that sounds alarms or has a live or recorded voice announcing it’s time to take pills.

Take advantage of technology

Pillboxes and medication lists were my low-tech solutions, but I used some high-tech solutions, too.

I made the meds list easily accessible at all times by creating it as a Word or Excel file on my computer, which I could access on my smartphone or tablet via a cloud storage app. (I used Dropbox, but there are several other free options.) I also kept a copy in my Evernote app and another in a caregiving app I used. Having several option for access gave me peace of mind. If I had trouble with one method, there was always another way.

Some caregiving or medication apps make the process easier. You can input information about each of the drugs your loved one is taking, and the app or site creates a full medication list with all of the pertinent details about each drug. Many medication apps also allow you to set up reminders, track medication history and alert you when medications need to be refilled.

I like apps and websites that allow me to make notes and comments about each medication.

There are also smart electronic pill organizers and dispensers that sound an alarm when it's time to take pills and send notifications to caregivers when meds have or have not been taken. Some of these devices hold multiple weeks at a time, but they may be limited to a certain number of pills in each dose.

Prices range from about $15 for a simple pill organizer with alarms to more sophisticated dispensers and cost between $80 to $300 or require a monthly fee for service between $30 to $45. (Ask if insurance covers the fee or provides a discount, or if there are discounts for veterans or AARP members).

You can also set up motion sensors that notify you when your loved ones go to their pill organizers or video cameras so you can watch them take medications.

There are even robots that deliver medications in hospitals and long-term care facilities, so maybe one day we will all have one at home that can pop pills into our mouths!

Rely on the pharmacist

Pharmacists are a caregiver’s best friend. My parent’s local pharmacy was incredibly helpful as I juggled their multiple medications. Whether a drug was delivered by mail or filled at their store, the pharmacists were always happy to answer questions and tell me about alternative medications when they experienced side effects. 

Dad had Alzheimer’s and developed swallowing challenges. The pharmacist pointed us to medications available in liquid form, tutored my sister and me on how to crush pills and alerted us when there were pills that couldn’t be crushed. Pharmacists are easily accessible, and perhaps because we interacted so frequently, the pharmacists, more than any other health care professionals on our team, were incredibly supportive and always recognized the effort we were making to take good care of our parents. That meant the world to me.

Try to find a pharmacist with specialized training in the complexities of managing medications for older adults. “Age-friendly” or senior care pharmacists can provide perspectives on which medications are most age-friendly and interfere the least with what matters to older adults, including their safe mobility and optimal cognitive functioning.

The bottom line: Create a system, high-tech, low-tech or a combination of both, that works for you and your loved ones and ensures that the correct medications are being taken at the correct times. Never hesitate to ask a pharmacist for advice. A little organization can save lives, ease pain and make everyone's life easier.

Caregiving Resources

I moderate AARP's Family Caregivers Discussion Group, a private Facebook group where caregivers can seek and give support to each other. Medication management is a common topic in the group, and caregivers share experiences, tips and solutions. 

AARP also offers these other helpful caregiving resources:

AARP’s Family Caregiving Guide helps you navigate through every aspect of family caregiving, create a framework for a plan that can be adjusted as your loved ones’ needs change, and care for yourself while caring for others.

AARP’s toll-free caregiver resource line offers agents who can guide you to pertinent resources. The lines are staffed Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET at 1-877-333-5885, or in Spanish at 1-888-971-2013