Please forgive me, I am replying but I did not read anyone elses replies .....and please understand, how we do things at my house are simply how we do things at my house. I am not saying our way is The Right Way. My daughter began medications for her "ADD/ADHD" around age 4. So, of course I administered them to her, under a very watchful eye. I wanted her medications in her, and I did not want them in any of our pets little bodies. Or in her younger siblings bodies, so we watched and checked. We have always used one of those weekly large flat pill holder things with 4 compartments for each day of the week. This helped me know to be on top of refill needs, and it also helped me know that anyone got any dose. It helped us prevent double doses and could help track missed doses. and becuz at one time my husband took 48 pills a day, I took 30 a day, difficult child took 28 a day and our son took 12 a day...it really made a difference in helping me keep up with it all.
Our children had input on their medications in so much as they were always encouraged by their docs to add their input re how a medication made them feel....our docs worked with difficult child to address unpleasant side effects...partly becuz unpleasant side effects will reduce medication compliance. I do feel blessed becuz my kids and husband never did try to cheek pills, or fake me out etc. But they did on occasion ask a doctor to change a medication due to undesired feelings with some medications. And I feel blessed becuz their docs always listened to their complaints about medications, if they had a complaint.
Becuz everyone at easy child at onee time did take so many many medications.....our home had medication times. Yes, I called out "medications" usually around 4 times a day, and yes, they lined up and I had all the medications in a locked box in those weekly holders and each took their medications in front of me. There were many reasons I did it this way. SOme of those reasons.....my husband would drop his medications sometimes. All of them would forget.even tho for years I set alarm clocks around to go off at medication times, especially if I was at work......I had alarm clocks everywhere when I went to work.....but thank goodness we were able to work doseing around my work usually, cuz I did home health and could often race home to administer medications in between clients. I did not want, like I said, my pets or any of the people to get the wrong medications, or miss medications, or double dose by accident. I wanted the positive effects from the medications, so I kept charge msyelf, personally. and when I said "medication time" there was NO negotiation. Altho I would bring medications to each person depending on what they might be doing at that moment. I did not permit "in a minute" and if anyone balked my reply was then we call doctor NOW so you can tell doctor your issue.......and we can figure out how to handle this, see if we need to change a medication. Becuz we had a service called SASS and also we had WRAP....weekly we met with several docs, mine, DHs, and difficult children all at the same time. IF anyone had a medication complaint it was discussed with the whole team.....(which also included everones tdocs etc) I remember once difficult children psychiatrist wanted difficult child to take a medication in liquid form, and difficult child HATED it.....and DHs doctor went hard at difficult children doctor cuz difficult children doctor was insistant the medication MUST be liquid, and difficult child was steadfast it was horrible that way. difficult children psychiatrist was saying..but shes a young child, ALL my young kids take this medication in liquid form.....and difficult child hated it so much she just could not swallow it. and DHs psychiatrist kept saying how can she get the benefit if she cannot tolerate swallowing it?
To this day ANY medication needed in MY house is administered by ME........irregardless of anyones age. husband has alzheimers. LOL.I do NOT administer his meals with anywhere near the same rigidity as I administer any medications he may need. I call him to dinner, if he does not come, I do not always hunt him down......altho I do ssometimes take him his plate, but I do not always check to make sure he is actually eating it......(his alzheimers is not progressed so far YET) difficult child is now technically a young adult........BUT......she suffered cumulative cognitive impairment, her docs say are from previous medications....... and she sometimes hyperfocuses on things......and she does get hypomanic often.....it is to the benefit of the whole family if she does get any medications she may be on......so--I administer them to her, as well. Currently my son takes 4 eyedrops spread thru 4 times a day, and he will for life. He has been taught HOW to do so....and often it is him who does them, under my watchful eye for now.....still.....altho I also just as often simply walk up to him, no matter what he is doing, grab his face and dump them in his eye on the fly. I do this for the same reason."I" want them in there. and I want it done fast and now so I can go on with whatever I am doing......I do not have any desire at this time to deal with the ramifications of him not getting them.
No, I do not permit any of them to take pills in hand and walk away from me. In almost all my other parenting I am rather permissive by most standards....and I DO permit everyone in my house to discuss their medications with their docs on their own....but..anyone in MY house who brings medications into MY house? I take control and charge.....LOL OK.so if my brother were to come visit, LOL.I would leave him to hadle his own medications, ROFL....Yes my husband is an adult.....but for 20 years now, he has been regressing. Yes my difficult child is now 20.....she likely will never be a true independant......easy child leaves any medications she might get with the rest of the families....just becuz it keeps uniformity. And son at 13 is just a busy and very laid back kid.....and we have 3 cats and a dog, and nonw a new baby anytime now..... and I want all medications locked........and gotten into mouths instead of anywhere else. and becuz "I" want the benefits of the medications in my family. and not into the wrong little bodies. I have taught them all HOW to set up weekly medications.and how to set alarm clocks to remind them it is medication time.....and I do engage their help in doing so whenever a new Rx comes into the house. and they also all know how to set MY medications up as well. (LOL altho not a one of them has any interest in learning how to do my shots, LOL)
SO....my family can prolly set up their medications etc.but for safety I keep things under strict control. SO many of the medications used in our home were hardcore medications, and could have fetched a pretty penny on the streets etc. I kept close count, and a watchful eye....I did not want any acquaaaintances to ever have an opportunity to sneak any out.........and medications like antibiotics, I wanted in them at precisely the proper time.
And from age 8 my kids always knew each of their medications by name and the reason - the diagnosis- for which they had each medication. They could take each pill and tell me what it was and what it was supposed to do for them, and how many mgs it was, and how often they were to take it. and I quizzed them often, very often.
BUt, this is just MY way in my family and my house.
