Medication Safety-Grandparent's Homes

The average number of poisonings occurring in children is accidental. In general, all adults have some form of over –the –counter medication in their homes. The ratio of prescription drugs in the home is 79% of parents and 85% of grandparents. Over one-third of the accidental poisonings involve children involve getting into their grandparents mediation. Unfortunately, older adults are most likely to have health issues, requiring the need for prescription and over-the-counter medications. A majority of these medications will be stored in open sight and easy access for small children through the use of none child-resistance containers.  The general goal for older adults taking medication is to have easy access as a reminder to take their medication. Pill minders are handy tools to help people to remember to take their medication. But unfortunately this is easy access to a small child.

Health issues concerns in older adults cannot be corrected in addition to the need for medications for treatment. The challenge is providing education to the parents and grandparents on need for safe storage and inaccessibility to small children. Making the environment safe for the children is the main objective. Child-resistance packaging is a method used as deterring the small child. Storage and location is the another important contributing to child safety. Understandably some adults have arthritis or other conditions making it difficult to open the containers. This is the reason may choose to have easy to open medication containers. If this is the case it is important to know the container is closed and stored in a safe location. There is pill-minder boxes in which have child resistance packaging might be a preferable choice over easy to open containers. Small children are explorers and have a tendency to find everything a parent or grandparent wishes they wouldn't.

Just because something mentions it is child resistance does not mean it is child proof. Small children are geniuses when it comes to the containers and can figure out after several attempts how to get into the package. The use of child resistance products serves as a step in deterring children, it is the adult’s responsibility to limit the access and promote safety. Medication storage is another aspect of the battle in prevention of accidental poisoning. Medication needs to be kept out of reach of children, prescription and over-the-counter.  Grandparents and older adults should not leave the medication on the bathroom sink, bedside table, kitchen table, or counter. Children are curious and will explore these areas, how many times have you noticed your child going for something in plain sight. Suggestions for storage could include a lockbox, top of the refrigerator, or cupboard a child does not have access to.  Grandparents should also be careful with medications stored in their purses. Children are always looking for something good, and most of the time grandma has gum or some other treat in her purse. Another concern is medication left in suitcases when visiting a relative; this provides another easy access point for children. Older grandchildren factor in the equation to when it comes to medication storage and accessibility. Grandparents may be accidental suppliers for children looking to experiment with medication (pain killers).

Safety:

• Store medications out of reach from children
• Child-resistant containers
• Store medication in original containers, recycle or dispose of old one (This allows for a pill count)
• Grandparents and parents look over the area before leaving children unsupervised, make sure all medication is out of reach and no medication is on the floor.

What to do is a child ingests a medication

• Is the child okay? Choking? Breathing? If there is problem call 911.
• Do not induce vomiting. (This is no longer recommend along with the use of ipecac syrup)
• Take the child and the medication to the phone
• Take a deep breath, Call Poison Control Center, 1-800-222-1222 for help, the specialist may save you and your loved one an unnecessary trip to the Emergency room.
• Answer all the questions the specialists (nurse, pharmacist, MD) ask, this helps determine the recommendations for treatment.

Types of ingestions from calls at grandparents homes

• Over the counter medications; acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin, vitamins
• Prescription medications; Pain medication (Morphine, Vicodin), Blood pressure medications (Ace-inhibitors-Lisnopril, captopril; beta-blockers-metoprolol, atenolol; calcium channel blockers-amlodipine, isradipine), Diabetic medication (sulfonylureas- Glucotrol, Micronase; Biguanides-Metformin)

Medications all have serious potential to harm a small child depending on the dosage and the amount ingested. Child safety is always a major concern, the best method is education and prevention.