Need a little help to stay independent?
Age UK has a range of products and services from trusted partners that can help you to continue doing things for yourself.
Staying independent
Looking after yourself
"I'd like some advice on how to look after myself."
Medication
While taking medication is a necessary part of many people’s lives, it’s often easy to get distracted and forget to take them. Not only can this have an effect on the condition you are taking them for, but can also lead to or cause other issues, such as increasing the risk of a fall.
Our tips
Here are some handy tips to help you to take your medication and remember what you need to take and when:
- Keep a diary or planner and tick off each dose as you take it.
- Set your clock or mobile alarm to remind you.
- Put your medication in a place that is part of your daily routine, such as next to your breakfast things, on your dining table or eating tray.
Support taking your medication
If you are having trouble taking your medication, here are some places you can go for help:
Your GP
Your GP can:
- review your medicines and make sure they are still suitable for your needs
- provide other forms of the medication, for instance capsules or liquid that are easier to take
- refer you to the district nurses or community health visitors, so they can review your needs and provide you with support.
Your pharmacist
Your pharmacist can:
- look at the options for prescribing your medication, for example, they could make sure any pill sachets show the days of the week (where available)
- suggest equipment to help you take your medication, such as a dosette box. This is a plastic container marked with days of the week and times. By transferring your medication to this, you can easily see when you need to take you medication and if you have forgotten.
Your pharmacist may also offer a collection and delivery service for prescriptions, if you can't do this yourself.
Adult social care
If you have a care and support package that includes visits to your home, talk to your support worker. They could remind you to take your medication if your visit coincides with your medication time.
Aids and equipment
A range of equipment is available to buy from pharmacists, supermarkets and online retailers to help you take medication. This includes:
- dosette boxes with alarms
- special containers that are easier to open.
Technology and apps
Here are some useful apps (applications) that you could download to your mobile device to remind you to take your medication, and also track what you have taken:
Medisafe
Never forget to take medication again with Medisafe. Ranked number 1 by pharmacists, MediSafe is easy to use and will not only remind you to take your medication, but you can also track what you have taken so you don’t accidentally take more than you should.
MyTherapy
The MyTherapy is an ad-free, awarded winning application that:
- reminds you to take your medication
- enables you to track which medication you have taken so you do not double dose
- tracks your mood so you can identify any effects your medication is having
- allows you to record notes about your health with its journal facility.