Do you have questions about caring for an elderly parent’s health? Ask PillTime’s pharmacist

[CeriMumsnet]

Many of us find ourselves taking on a caring role for our parents as they age, an added responsibility that can certainly come with its challenges, especially when trying to balance raising your own children or working full time.

We’ve invited PillTime Pharmacist Peter Thnoia to answer any questions you might have about caring for an elderly parent. Perhaps you’re struggling to help your parent manage their medication, or maybe you’re looking for practical advice and support about how best to support your parents’ health alongside your other priorities.

Everyone who posts on this thread with a question for Peter by10 October will be entered into a prize draw to win a £100 voucher. T&Cs apply. Peter will be back online in the next few weeks to answer some of your questions.

About the Expert
Peter Thnoia is the Superintendent Pharmacist at PillTime, an NHS-registered online pharmacy that makes medication management easier for carers and the elderly. With over 25 years of experience as a registered pharmacist, Peter is a seasoned Prescribing Pharmacist and has dedicated his career to enhancing patient safety and access to medication through technology. Peter is particularly experienced providing pharmaceutical dadvice to people who are aged 50+ and who are often on 7+ daily medications on average, and can be taking as many seventeen medications a day, for common conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and chronic pain.

How would you best support their mental health if they live alone, I visit when I can - often and they are with me at the weekends, but I don't want any decline in cognitive health when they see noone for days at a time. (Apart from the TV)

I need help into how Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors work on early dementia, and is there anything else I can help with to slow down the progression ?

Is vitamin D ok to take for a lady of 83 to help with bone density ? or has she left this too late to help with the loss of bone density - she gets LOTS of brochures through the door and is always ordering vitamins and supplements - but i need to know which ones she can take and which ones will do more harm than good
No health conditions apart from slightly high blood pressure.

My mum lives alone and has arthritis in both knees and is on the waiting list for an replacement. Whilst I am not far away, and she is independent, is there any device I can buy which I know when she is up and around, and has not had a fall etc - she won't wear a personal alarm.

I keep seeing adverts for pumpkin seed oil for thinning hair, which my elderly mum has bought for her thinning hair, she is not on any meds -she is 67 and is she wasting her money ?

My father in law, 79 takes omeprazole for his indigestion, I am worried about the side effects of this long term, and if this meds would mask anything more serious going on with his digestion.
Are there any herbal less invasive meds to take ?

My mum has had scabies for about 2 years now. She's had several courses of ivormectin and various creams. It just won't go away. There's been some doubts about whether it really is scabies, but as she now seems to have passed it on to a friend and a family member, she is now convinced. Are scabies becoming resistant to ivormectin, and are there any different or new treatments she could try?

My mum is in her late 80's. She has been diagnosed with dementia, late onset Alzheimers and also acute aortic stenosis. She lives alone but has carers coming in every day plus myself and brother most days..
I have two questions-

1. because of the heart condition we were told there was only one potential dementia pill she could take. She wasn't really following the conversation and because of a slightly increased risk of falls, we didn't go ahead and try the possible dementia meds. Is there much merit to me suggesting we now try the medicine? She's fairly lucid most of the time, forgetful to some extent but generally coping ok in conjunction with carers etc.

2 her diet is not so good these days. She no longer drinks tea, and only likes cold drinks- squash, lemonade, coca cola. She also eats a lot more cake and chocolates than she used to. Is there a risk she could develop diabetes? Should we get an appointment with the GP?

A family friend is 87 and suffers with osteoarthritis. She is in constant pain and it's destroying her quality of life. She is very thin and weighs about 90 lbs.Her GP has said he cannot prescribe stronger pain relief because she is so tiny. Surely there must be something that can be done to relieve her pain! If she was an animal she would have been euthanized!

@Kentishbirdlife
@sharond101

Hi could you please explain how we find the answers to our questions?.I just don't understand how we're supposed to find them.
Many thanks.😄

Placemarking

You’ll get a notification when your post is quoted in an answer. None of the questions have been answered yet

Do they get answered on here? I didn’t post a question but some of the questions are relevant to what is happening with my DM

Hi everyone! Thanks so much for sharing your questions for Peter. Stay tuned on this thread - he will be online this afternoon to start answering your questions.

Peter would also like to invite any further questions you may have on caring for elderly relatives or parents. He will be around for the rest of the month to answer any further questions, so do keep them coming.

Finally, I'm happy to announce the winner of the prize draw is @prawncocktailcrispss - congratulations!

@Kentishbirdlife ok thanks very much 😊

Hi @sharond101, most people can benefit from a multivitamin (check if he's on any prescribed meds as vitamins can interact with some prescribed medications), Vitamin D supplements (drops are good) and Vitamin B12 especially as winter approaches..

Hi @Kentishbirdlife As we only pouch medications in date-defined pouches, if we tell you to take this pouch on the 23rd Dec, we know the date it should be taken. We always make sure the medications we use are stable well beyond this date. In Europe, the stability of the medications has been established over the last few decades, as pouch use is well established there. Currently, we don't carry out a risk assessment because our service is open to all, not just the vulnerable.

Hi @Willowcat77 There is a lot of evidence that reducing sweet foods and anything that triggers insulin release may help reduce the onset of dementia. Also, avoiding alcohol can help. As an older person, the best thing would be to make sure she gets some exercise every day. Maybe even a half-hour walk, as this will have the biggest and most immediate benefits.

Hi @BeHappySloth It's difficult to admit if you are having memory issues. But I think for your Dad, it may be better to approach it by saying there are medications that can help slow any issues. This way, he may see there is a solution rather than something that becomes a label and is inevitable. At 80, he may be able to slow any decline and improve his diet and activity level so that it may be less of a worry. Medications may also be available, but at least he can be monitored then, so at the right time, medications can be introduced to help him.

Hi @Dizzywizz This is a tough one as conflicting messages mean that the patient leaves confused. Don't be afraid of quoting each of the professionals to each other, as they will most likely be appreciative of the other's input. If you feel that the advice you received from one conflicts with the others' advice, just ask why they think that and ask them to explain why they have chosen a different course of action. An open conversation is always best, as the patient's health is the most important issue for all who are trying to help. A bit of constructive challenging will be welcomed. Remember to always be polite and frame your questions so you get the answers you need.

Hi @HobNobAddict Yes, it could be. Shingles can cause balance issues years after the breakout. This is due to the nerves involved in some cases.
Your Mum could ask for a referral to an ENT specialist or someone who specialises in a type of physiotherapy that helps with balance. Your GP can instigate this.

Hi @DinkyDaffodil Keeping a consistent base of all the vitamins is better than focusing on one. If they focus on eating a healthy diet with lots of vegetables and salad items alongside protein, they will have a good start. Supplementing with a formulation for the elderly is a good idea, but taking too much of any vitamin should be avoided unless on specialist advice.

Hi @JacCharlton Omega-3 oils, along with glucosamine and chondroitin, can really help with joint pain. Exercise of any type can help. If possible, visiting a swimming pool can provide enough resistance to work the muscles, while walking in the pool relieves the weight on the joints. Most pools have special sessions for the elderly and also have a special pool lift if getting in and out is difficult.

Hi @prawncocktailcrispss Some capsules are very colourful. Generally, the colours used are always listed in the information leaflet. If it is a colour that triggers a physiological response, the formulation may be available as a tablet. In some cases, it may be possible to empty the contents of the capsule into a food so that it can be taken without the gelatin capsule. These would need to be confirmed with your pharmacist and are based on the make-up of the capsule and its release profile. I'd advise you to check if a tablet version is available or if you can open and take its contents.

Hi @DenDenDenise It's unusual for the same medication to have different strengths from different manufacturers that have the same effect.
I suspect what they mean is that they are trying slightly different medications from the same class, and that is why the strength changes. This is normal, as not all medical compounds have the same effect for a given quantity. I.e. Paracetamol comes in 500mg tabs and codeine comes in 15mg tabs. They are both painkillers, but different amounts produce the desired effect.