Easier Elderly Medication Management Using Blister Packs
Providing guidance on easier medication management
Medication management is extremely important for older adults who are known to suffer from more medical conditions than other age groups. For this reason, they may be required to take more than one medication. In fact, according to a report by Age UK, almost 2 million older adults in the UK are taking more than 7 prescription medications, so they may need help from a caregiver to ensure they are taking the correct medications on the correct days. Blister packs may provide a helpful solution for both older adults and their caregivers. Here, we are exploring everything you need to know about blister packs, including how they work, their benefits, how they can have a positive impact on the home care of older adults, the common concerns to address, tips for effective medication management, and more. At Home Instead, our aim is to help people age positively and in place by bringing expert care to their home. For nearly 20 years, we have been providing the highest standard of care, and creating industry-leading training programmes for our Care Professionals that are accredited by nursing and medical professionals. Today, we are the world’s largest global domiciliary care network, supporting over 100,000 older adults with personalised, tailored care at home. So whatever questions you have about home care, we can help.
Why is medication management so vital for older adults?
Medication management is an important consideration for older adults and their caregivers. Often they will be taking multiple prescriptions at once to manage chronic health conditions, as older adults are at a higher risk for chronic health problems such as diabetes, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s disease. This increases their risk of complications, so it is important for older adults themselves, and their caregivers, to understand exactly what they should be taking, how much they should be taking, and when they should be taking it. If needed, caregivers can provide helpful reminders or interventions to make this process easier for them if they cannot keep track of this themselves. According to research, one of the major catalysts for frail older adults being admitted to nursing homes is nonadherence to medication schedules, so ensuring they can manage their own medication effectively can help them to stay in the home they know and love. Poor medication management can lead to dangerous drug interactions if the wrong medications are taken at the wrong times. It can be dangerous if they underdose, overdose, or miss doses of an important medication, as this can worsen their health. Sometimes a missed dose is nothing to worry about, but in other instances this can lead to serious consequences, so if you have any worries about this it is vital to put systems in place to ensure your medication is taken appropriately. Some common challenges that tend to cause issues and disrupt medication management for older people include:
- Memory issues, such as general forgetfulness or the confusion experienced by those with dementia, which make it very difficult to follow complex schedules as instructed.
- Vision impairments that affect the ability to read labels, which is crucial when taking multiple medications at once. It is vital to know exactly what to take each day.
- Physical limitations such as arthritis may cause dexterity issues and make it difficult to handle pills or open containers.
- Cognitive issues may make it hard to properly understand instructions on prescribed medications, particularly if this means taking different dosages at various points throughout the day.
These factors can make medication adherence much more difficult for older people who suffer from these conditions, so having a family member, professional carer or a medical professional oversee their schedule and provide helpful reminders where needed can make a big difference to their anxiety around medications and their overall quality of life.
What is a blister pack, and why is it useful?
A blister pack is a type of packaging system used to seal medications into individual compartments, making it easier to keep track of what needs to be taken each day and what has already been taken. These packs are usually made of plastic with a foil backing so the pills can be pushed out easily, but will remain intact until the person is ready to take them. Each compartment will be labelled with a day of the week, and possibly a time of day depending on the type of blister pack. The compartment contains the specific dose needed for that day/time, to make it easier for an older person to follow their medication schedule as directed by their doctor. This method helps to simplify any complex schedules that could be difficult if the person has multiple medications to take, multiple health conditions, or health issues making it more challenging for them to maintain a schedule, such as dementia or arthritis. Blister packs can help to reduce confusion and improve adherence by visually guiding older adults to the medications they should take and when. The clear layout can help to prevent missed or double doses, or accidental overdoses, and the sealed compartments enhance safety by keeping them secure and reducing handling errors. This also assists caregivers with easy medication monitoring. Overall, blister packs can be a convenient and reliable way to manage multiple medications.
How are blister packs filled?
Blister packs are usually filled by pharmacies, who use a careful process to sort medications based on the patient’s prescription from their doctor. The pharmacist will begin by ensuring the correct dosage and medications are selected, then the pills are placed into individual compartments in the blister pack labelled with the appropriate days of the week, and sometimes the time of day they should be taken. For example, morning, afternoon or evening. Each compartment will hold the exact dose for that specific time, to reduce any confusion. When an older person receives their new blister pack, they must simply locate the compartment with the correct day and time, burst the foil backing to access the medication(s), take the dose as prescribed (such as with food or water), and continue this process each relevant day.
What are the best ways to use blister packs when caring for an older person?
When caring for an older person, you may find they are resistant to change if they are already in a routine with their medication schedule, however if you believe it is important for them to transition to using blister packs for simplicity, you can begin by educating them on how blister packs work, what they will need to look for each day, and how to get the medication out of the foil packaging. You can emphasise how much easier this will be compared to how they did things before – it just takes some getting used to. Caregivers can successfully integrate blister packs into the daily routine of an older person by making sure they have access to this each day, and helping them to align the times they take their medication with pre-existing habits, such as with meals, after brushing their teeth, or before bed. It can sometimes help to set up reminders on a phone or by placing visual cues around their home to ensure they remember to use their blister pack and get into a routine. If your older loved one is initially resistant to the idea of this change, explain that there are many benefits to this, such as safety and convenience. You should also regularly check they are taking the correct doses.
Are there any downsides to blister packs?
Any type of change can have downsides in the beginning, so it is important to know about these so you can make an informed decision about if and when you switch to using a blister pack for yourself or an older loved one. Some of the downsides for you might include:
- Cost – People over 60 in the UK can get their prescription medications for free through the NHS, and blister packs can be provided through the NHS too, however there may be some cases where this is not available. In these instances, organising pre-packaged medications could be more expensive than traditional medicine bottles, which can be a downside for those who have a lot of medications to take. You can also purchase a dosette box from a pharmacy or shop if you would prefer to organise these pills into compartments for each day of the week yourself.
- Reliability and accuracy – Some people may worry about whether or not their blister packs are filled with the correct medications, and putting trust in the pharmacist could feel uncomfortable. While these are always filled by a pharmacy according to a doctor’s instructions, this does not mean errors cannot happen, so it is important to double check what is included in your blister pack when you first receive it.
- Difficulty opening – Some older adults with limited dexterity may struggle to open their blister pack, so if this is the case, additional solutions may need to be explored, such as easy-open designs or assistive tools to avoid dropping pills when opening.
What other ways can older adults effectively manage their medication?
Aside from blister packs, older adults can effectively manage their medication needs with a number of strategies. These include:
- Having regular check-ups with healthcare providers to review and adjust medications if needed, and ensure treatments remain appropriate as health conditions evolve. If you feel you need to, you can arrange a Structured Medication Review (SMR), which is a free NHS service for those having difficulty managing multiple medications. At this review, a pharmacist will discuss any prescribed medications, supplements and over-the-counter medications you take, and help you decide the best way to effectively manage these while addressing any problems you have had so far.
- Maintaining up-to-date medication lists that are shared with all healthcare professionals involved in their care to prevent interactions and duplications. It can help to use a MAR Chart, which stands for Medication Administration Record, to keep track of the type of medication, dosage, the time it was given, any adverse reactions or side effects, instructions on how to take it (such as with food), and more. You can learn more about this in our article: Meet The MAR Chart: How Live-in Carers Record Medication
- Using reminders and alarms, such as through phone apps or timers, to prompt timely medication adherence.
- Creating a structured routine around medication times for those with dementia to provide additional support.
- Implementing visual aids such as colour-coded charts to help reinforce adherence to the schedule.
- Engaging family members and/or caregivers in the process to ensure medications are taken as prescribed.
- Having a pharmacist arrange things like home delivery services for medications and online repeat prescription services to make it easier for older adults to obtain their medication, especially if they cannot leave the house easily.
What support is available for caregivers managing medication for an older person?
If you are helping an older loved one to manage their medication, you may feel the burden of responsibility to ensure this is done correctly, but remember you can always discuss any worries you have with the doctor in charge of their care to make sure you are comfortable with their medication schedule and understand how to administer everything required. You may also find useful information about this in our guide to common medical abbreviations on prescriptions.Blister packs, along with some of the aforementioned resources, can help your older loved one better manage this themselves if possible, but they can also help you to keep track of this during care duties. If you feel you could benefit from the help of a professional home carer to manage your loved one’s medication schedule, we can help, as well as supporting them if they are feeling the pressure of managing multiple health conditions at once. We can provide regular care, as well as live-in care which can be more beneficial for those with a lot of medications to take. Live-in carers can help by prompting or reminding the client to take their own medications, helping to get medications out of difficult packaging (or helping them switch to blister packs), or administering medications if trained to do so. At Home Instead, we can provide highly trained Care Professionals who are experienced in administering medication and assisting the client if they have the capacity and desire to manage this themselves. Many of our Care Professionals are trained extensively to support clients living with multiple health conditions, so we can always ensure you are paired with a carer with experience in your health condition(s) and the type of care you need. We’re an award-winning home care provider and part of a worldwide organisation devoted to providing the highest quality relationship-led care for older people in their own homes. Arranging care for yourself or your loved one shouldn’t be stressful, so whatever questions you would like answered, feel free to reach out to the Home Instead team to discuss your needs.
Michelle Tennant, Clinical Governance Lead
I am a Registered Nurse of 20 years and have been in the care sector since I was 17 years old, I have had experience in every role that exists in a care company, including Registered Manager, care consultant, recruiter, scheduling, auditing, complaints, and networking! My role in the National office is Clinical Governance Lead, and most recently have been working with DHSC and Chief Nurse Deborah Sturdy to develop a clinical governance framework for the delegated healthcare activities in social care, I am continuing to take the lead on our Healthcare at Home service and drive this in the network. In addition to my nursing role, I’m 4 years into my PhD in Aging at Lancaster University, with a key focus on the retention of Care Professionals in the social care sector.