People with Alzheimer’s disease may take medicines to treat the disease itself, mood or behavior changes, and other medical conditions. Caregivers can ensure that medicines are taken safely and correctly. Here are some tips to help you manage medications for someone with Alzheimer’s disease:
- Make a complete list of medications. The list should show the name of the medicine, the doctor who prescribed it, how much the person with Alzheimer’s takes, and how often. Visit Tracking Your Medications: Worksheet for a template.
- Help the person with Alzheimer’s remember to take their medicine. If the person lives alone, you may need to call and remind him or her or leave notes around the home. A pillbox allows you to put pills for each day in one place. As Alzheimer’s gets worse, someone may need to give the medicines to the person.
- Watch for side effects, especially confusion and falls, and call the doctor or pharmacist if you have questions about any medication.
Learn more about managing medicines for a person with Alzheimer’s disease on the National Institute on Aging website.
Last Updated on April 29, 2020
