Can you clearly remember how and when your parents took each drug?
For our parents, with the increase of age, diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, hyperlipidemia and other chronic diseases follow one after another, requiring as few as 3-4 kinds and as many as more than 10 kinds of drugs, while their memory and eyesight are obviously reduced, which makes it not so easy to take medicine.
As children, in order to help them use drugs correctly and try to avoid the adverse effects caused by wrong and missed medication, can we do some what? Today, let’s teach you some methods and skills.
How can parents remember how to take medicine?
1. Large Font Marking
Although the drugs brought from the hospital will be marked on the outer package, most of the elderly have poor eyesight and have difficulty reading.
We can use a marker pen to write clearly the specific usage method on the box of each drug, and try to write it as large as possible, so that they can see it clearly even without reading glasses.
2. Classification of drugs
Use bags or boxes of different colors to pack drugs once, twice or three times a day respectively, or use label paper of different colors to distinguish them. This method is also suitable for some drugs that need to be taken at different times, for example, drugs that need to be taken before eating or before going to bed can be packed together respectively.
At present, there are many family medicine boxes on the market, which can be put into the medicine boxes according to different usage of drugs every day or every week, and different time of taking medicine is written on the lid. The elderly can take medicine according to the prompts on the medicine box. However, attention should be paid to the sealing property of the medicine box so as not to affect the drug effect.
3. High-tech means
You can use your cell phone alarm clock or memo to set the time for taking the medicine, so that when the time comes, there will be a bell to remind you.
In addition, some mobile phone App now also has some functions to help take medicine on time, such as Dr. Clove’s [medication reminder] is also a good choice.
Avoid forgetting to take medicine, taking medicine repeatedly or taking the wrong medicine.
1. Calendar
Hang a calendar in a conspicuous place and write down the name, quantity and time of each medicine on the calendar. Parents can check the calendar of the day at any time to remind themselves to take medicine when the time comes.
After taking medicine every time, you can tick or cross the calendar to avoid forgetting whether to take medicine.
Step 2: Cards
Similar to the usage method of the calendar, it is only made into the form of a [medication card], and the name, dosage and medication time of the medicine to be taken every day are indicated. The medication card is placed in a conspicuous place and a mark is drawn after each time the medicine is taken.
Step 3 Put the kit in a conspicuous place
Drugs taken before eating can be placed at the dining table or rice bowl, which is easy to see when eating or eating. Drugs taken before going to bed can be placed beside the bed.
Check drugs in time
Always check the remaining drugs in the medicine box to understand the actual situation of parents taking medicine.
Generally, doctors with chronic diseases prescribe drugs for one month or half a month. If they find that each drug is taken too fast or has too much surplus, it may be that there is wrong or missed taking. Check the drugs in time to find and correct these problems.
Proper use of drugs is the premise of disease control and an effective way to reduce the side effects of drugs. For parents who have entered the elderly, we need more patience and care. The use of various drugs often requires repeated reminders, careful checks and repeated informing.
Care for parents’ health, start with the small matter of taking medicine.