When you or a loved one’s eyesight begins to fail, life changes in many ways including how to safely manage your medications.
Here are some tips to consider:
- Have a storage system to keep all your medications in one place
- Make a chart that reminds you how many pills you take at each dosing time – print it out in a big font
- Use a brightly coloured “medication bowl” when you are preparing to take your medications. Double check that the number of pills matches your chart
- Ask the pharmacist to package your medications in a blister pack or strip package
- If you prefer to manage your medications in vials, you could:
- have brightly coloured stickers (circles) on the cap with matching ones on the label to alert you to the time of day taken (example: Green dot=morning, red dot=bedtime, green + red dot=morning+evening)
- ask for a larger font on the label – have a flashlight always handy (e.g., from your phone) to shine brightly on the table instructions or use a magnifier (CNIB has recommendations)
- use rubber bands around a vial to indicate a particular dosing time (e.g. all supper medications)
- Use a rosette (pill box) that is filled by a family member – then you can count across the days of the week and up and down for the time
If you have diabetes or high blood pressure, consider purchasing a device that will talk so you can hear the readings.
Oracle Talking Blood Glucose Meter
LifeSource Premium Talking Blood Pressure monitor
Two examples of products available. Talk to your pharmacist about how to get a device that can speak
Technology is changing and has the potential to offer improved strategy for people to maintain their independence with low vision. Currently, many Apps developed to scan text and speak do not function well with reading medication labels. An Australian company has created an App that allows pharmacies to put a bar code on their labels. People can san the bar code with their phone, which reads what medication is in the bottle and the directions. You can even choose the language that it speaks. Canadian innovation will not be far behind!
Bottom Line:
Do not be afraid to ask for help if you have low vision concerns. Working with your pharmacist, you can develop a personalized system that helps YOU take your medications safely.
