forgetting medicine

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efowler25

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Any suggestions on how to help my 10 year old to remember his meds? We have a pill box with am and pm but we just cant get a Good system down. Any and all suggestions would be amazing!!!!!
 
My suggestion depends on if he is used to you guys buying stuff for him.

My ex had a little sister who had to take medicine, she was 7, and she wasn't spoiled at all, because they didn't have a lot of money, so getting stuff was generally a special occasion thing.

I suggested they make a chart, and every time she had to take her meds, she'd have them watch her take her meds. Then they put an X mark on that dose for that day. Her meds were twice a day so they had each day, along with AM and PM. Her goal was to get all of the boxes filled with X marks for two weeks. If she took all her doses for two weeks straight, and didn't miss a dose, she got to go shopping for something under $15. They also allowed her to save the $15 if she wanted, so that she could save up money to buy something that was more expensive.

Don't know if something like that would work for you, but I thought I'd toss it out there. :)
 
I would suggest you associate him to take his meds with a part of his routine such as brushing his teeth where you can keep them in the medicine cabinet or making morning toast where you can keep them in the bread box.

That way it becomes part of doing something he already does automatically. It might take some time to get him to make that association though.
 
We have our alarms set on our cell phones, and I also bought this little alarm that I stuck in the kitchen cabinet and it beeps every 12 hours. I bought it at Walgreens - it is made to stick on the top of a pill bottle, but I just stuck it to the inside of the cabinet instead.

We also try to make it part of our routine - and now, 6 months into medications we really don't need the alarms - but I leave them there anyway just in case. He takes his morning meds right before breakfast and his evening ones right before he brushes his teeth before bed.

It did take us a while for it to become routine. The alarms for us were the biggest help.

Good luck!
 
Does He wear a watch? It might help if he had a digital one with a timer plus he would always know what time it was too. The responibility would be partly his to remember also. This would get him to remember that when his watch went of its time for his meds not just you telling him its time for his meds. I have timex digital watch that i think it has 4 diffrent alarms on it and it is waterproof. I think it cost $30. Pretty durable too. That way if hes on the go he always has his alarm with him beep beep hey its time to take my meds mom!

Tina
 
I have a seven day dispenser for am and pm - noon and tea time I take from the bottles.
Trouble is if I think it's Monday I take that day's am med but by bed time I know it's Tuesday so I take meds from there. Later on in the week, messing up all the days, I'm in a right mess - sometimes taking 2x evening meds. I lose count of taking my noon and tea time meds so often take more than I should. I guess I should do a tick list but meds time I'm usually tired and not focused.
:)
 
I am the director of a Preschool so we have checklists for EVERYTHING!!! I think I am going to make a weekly checklist that is broken down into individual days. Including morning meds, evening meds and all his chores in between. Hang the laminated chore list ( so we can reuse it each week) on the door we go out of each day. This way I can check to make sure the meds have been taken before we leave the house in the AM. Then maybe if we can do it for a solid week he can be rewarded. We love to go out and do new things as a family so I was thinking allowing him to direct the next fmaily outing. Whether or not it will work WHO KNOWS but I will be sure to keep you all updated!!!
 
that's where the watch helps me. I wear it all the time.Except when I am sleeping or when I am in the shower etc.... I also have the box that has the little boxes that you can take out with the days of the week on it that I fill up once a week on Saturday nights after the pm dosage. I usually have the little boxes with me when i am out and about when i am at work or whatever. The watch then alerts me if i need to take my meds if I am out I take meds out of my purse or pocket and find something to drink and take them. Easy and Done. Not forgotten and becasue the box is empty the days dont get mixed up becasue of the watch reminding me before the watch I was forgetting to take them. The watch has really saved me.

Tina
 
Hi Tina! The Problem I would have with a watch or mobile phone alert me is I don't work so my pill time is not regular - I may have a bad night so sleep when I can so pill time could be 7am/8am/9am/10am/111am and so on. I depend on my memory which is not very good at the moment.
:)
 
Hi Nickolas! Well we all have to work out a system that works best for us all... what works for one person does not work for another...thats the beauty of this site we are all here to help each other out with suggestions to help one other perhaps Nicholas instead of an alert or alarm or timer since you have an irregular sleep pattern a check list beside your pill box would work for you it seems to work for others you could always try it out and see if it works. Good luck!

Tina
 
Nicholas I just reread your post..... can you pick up another 7 day dispenser with 4 sections instead of just 2 or perhaps pick up another am pm one? maybe label the 2nd one TT for tea time and BT for Bed time since you take meds then or relabel it with tape with what seems if there is not room for all of your meds. This would eliminate your issue I think with taking the pills mid day out of the bottles you would only have to load up once a week then. maybe that would help out on the day of the week confusion for you some. I thought of this myself when I had to have a readjust a few months ago I thought i was gonna have to buy another pill box becasue of all the pills i was taking and he wanted to add another AED to the mix as well. Again hope this helps you out.

Tina
 
jackidela said:
It is very easy to remember about medicines, You have to buy a medicine cabinet so that all the medicines can be put in it. You can buy these cabinets with the help of our company within an affordable price.
Click to expand...

Spam on thanksgiving? I much prefer turkey.
 
I often forgot medication as a child. I would suggest getting a system down and making it part of routine by constantly, but gently reminding him (ex. wake up, eat breakfast, brush teeth, meds) same for night or set an alarm to remind him to take it. And if he forgets, give it to him as soon as possible if it's within time limit

and for gosh sakes don't embarrass him like my mom did (I had my mother burst into my class waving a pill bottle into the air yelling "VICTORIA SWEETIE DID YOU FORGET TO TAKE YOUR ADDERALL THIS MORNING!?" I was mortified! and of course I had forgotten and had to do the walk of shame to take it :paperbag: )
 
I have alarms set. I only have a twice daily, so more than that and I don't think my method will help.

At 9 am I pull from my "am" compartment on my twice daily pillbox. And at 11pm I pull from the "pm" side.

Remembering my pill is not my strong suit. LOL, I couldn't take the birth control pill because of my memory, and that was a decade before seizures!
 
oh and another thing, maybe keep 2 seperate pill cases so they fit in with routine? My AM one always sits on the breakfast table and my PM one stays on my nightstand so I don't forget/mix them up.
 
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