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.

Hi @hannahp1209, taking a winter health supplement is a good idea. These can be purchased in most retail pharmacies. Just ask the pharmacy team which is best. The best thing he can do is make sure he still gets some exercise in. A walk every day can help him very quickly to ensure he is ready in case he gets a cold or the flu. Vitamin C from oranges will also help (real oranges rather than juice).

Hi @hotcrossmums Persistent pain that is beyond simple painkillers is best discussed with the local pain team. Each area should have a team of specialists to whom you can be referred to help with managing pain. I'd suggest you speak to your local surgery and ask them to refer your mum to the local pain team. They are the experts in managing long-term pain.

Hi @Dobbysocks At a certain age, driving becomes far too dangerous. Regular eye checks are needed to ensure they can still see to the required standard. If their eyesight is okay, then it comes down to reaction speed. The GP can help here if you are concerned, as fitness to drive is something they can help assess. Just let the GP know that it may be time to assess your parent for their ability to drive. Elderly people who drive and end up hurting someone in an accident always feel terrible, and the weight of this can cause real health issues. Many do manage to drive into old age, but they have to adjust to longer reaction times and drive far slower because of this.

Hi @Chocja Yes, the pharmacist at your regular pharmacy would be happy to take a look at all the medications and dispose of any that they should not be taking. I'd pack up all the medications and then take them to the pharmacy, only bringing back what they should have.

Hi @littlecottonbud Fennel tea is great for bloating. It works for me! If not, there is a product called Rennie Deflatine, which is also quite helpful.
Many painkillers have side effects on your stomach. Losing weight if someone is overweight can relieve the pressure on the joints. Also, hot water bottles help the joint stay mobile rather than stiffening up. Some painkillers come in patches, and these should be discussed with your GP.

Hi @MrSpocksWife Height is reduced due to many areas of the body being less upright, so that the overall height loss can be quite large. Calcium and vitamin D intake is especially important, especially as the days get shorter and we start wearing more layers. Vitamin D is produced by the skin in the sunlight, so winter naturally sees a big drop. To counteract this, use a supplement. The other thing to ensure is that they don't drink any fizzy drinks. These leach calcium from your bones, which is really bad.

Hi @ItalianChineseIndianMexican Yes, you can contact their GP and ask to be made a contact point. In the NHS record for your parent, there will be an area for contact and next of kin, which you can be added to. This is available to all NHS employees. This is the best way to make sure your details are available if needed. You may want to look into getting a power of attorney for their health matters, as this gives you the right to make health decisions only if they can't.

Hi @LittleDeeAndME Some tablets can be really difficult to swallow. There is a tool called a tablet crusher, which can crush the tablets and allow you to mix them into something to make it easier to swallow. This can be really good, and you can mix it with a low-sugar jelly to eat if you need. Some tablets, I agree are overly large, and if you can find a smaller formulation, that is better. This is hard to procure for the pharmacy however, as the size of the tablet isn't something the wholesalers publish. Speak to the pharmacist for your specific case to see if crushing is worthwhile.

Hi @itsywitsy It won’t affect them negatively. The best thing they can do is start reducing the consumption of oils and fats in their food. Unfortunately, modern food manufacturing processes mean that more oils are present than ever. If they can make cakes and biscuits at home, they can experiment with using healthier fats such as avocado oil and reducing the sugar they consume. Large quantities of fat and sugar accelerate the build-up of atherosclerosis, so these should be reduced as much as possible.

Hi @ohdannyboy Have you been referred to the pain clinic? This may be a better route. Not all medications are oral, although patches can still cause stomach transit slowing, hence constipation can be less. Complementary medications can also help, but should not be solely relied upon. Any compound that has a significant medical response is usually designated a medicine. There are some private pain services that you may want to investigate. They are cannabinoid-based but may be a good option for you. As always, make sure you look into the provider and consult a doctor before changing your medication.

Hi @prawncocktailcrispss It's really important to take Fosamax on an empty stomach. Unfortunately, Fosamax is not absorbed if there is any food or drinks (not water) present. It is very likely that when she eats even a small breakfast, the amount of the drug actually absorbed is very little. There is a once-monthly formulation of another drug that is available, but this needs to be decided by your GP on whether it's safe to swap. Ideally, once a week, she can take the medication on an empty stomach. Maybe set an alarm to remind her at night and first thing in the morning on the same day each week.

Hi @Willowcat77 One week in the hospital can be really detrimental to someone's strength. It's important to build this back up. Making sure they consume enough protein and build back up to where they were before is essential. It's hard but worthwhile, as the body's natural state is to maintain the least possible muscle to survive. Without challenge, the body downgrades rapidly. But in reverse, when it is challenged, it can build up too. It may take longer, but it will get better as long as the challenge is regular.

Hi @Ilostmyhalo Most of these coatings pass through the digestive system, and sometimes they can be seen in the stools - but it’s just the coating. The ingredients allowed in medications have become very restricted over the years. Most that are in use now are as inert as possible, so they should have little effect. Of course, an allergy can still develop, but in most cases, they are safe and not something to be overly concerned about. I would always double-check supplements, however, as they are produced under a different set of rules and may contain more vivid colours that can cause problems.

Hi @LadyLapsang Hi, great question! As of yet, no local authorities fund our service. We’ve been very busy over the last year improving both our service and our app to make it much more informative, so we haven’t had the opportunity to do any roadshows showcasing what we provide. We’re always happy for people to contact their local authority, and if they’re interested in supplying our service to their patients, they can get in touch and one of our team will be happy to speak with them. If you’ve found PillTime helpful, please let the healthcare professionals you speak to know - many people don’t even realise we exist! Any recommendations from actual users really help spread the word.

Thank you, that's really helpful. Does sweet food include fruit or do you mean only refined sugars?

thank you Peter

Does anyone know how this is going to work ? How soon do the questions receive answers or comments?

TIA

Nomor WhatsApp resmi milik Bank BWS adalah 0813-119-1917 dan ditandai dengan centang biru ✓ Jika Bapak/Ibu menerima pesan ...

@CeriMumsnet just checking, will Peter be returning to this thread? He hasn't got to my question yet.

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@PeterThnoiaPillTime

Has anyone got any suggestions or advice on what a speech by mother of the groom should be like. I have no idea where to start

Does anyone know if this is finished now ?.. As far as I can tell there was no response to my question

In my London Borough my DH's industrial injury benefit is counted as income so no housing or council tax benefit. If we lived in the borough next door it doesn't so he'd get both benefits.