medication support
Medication Support You Can Rely On at Home
From simple reminders to agreed medication administration, we provide safe, personalised support based on each person's assessed needs.
Managing medication can become more difficult for many reasons. Someone may forget whether they have taken a dose, struggle to open packaging, need help collecting prescriptions, or require more structured support with medicines as part of their home care.
At Care & Carers, we assess what support is needed and agree it clearly in the care plan. Our carers are trained and competency-checked before they provide medication support, and medication records are managed electronically.
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At a glance
Quick reassurance
Support based on assessed need
We agree the right level of medication support for each person.
Trained and competency-checked carers
Carers must be trained and signed off as competent before supporting medication.
Electronic medication records
Medication support is recorded through our electronic care system.
Communication when something changes
Refusals, concerns and medication-related incidents are recorded and escalated appropriately.
the basics
What is medication support?
Medication support means helping someone manage their prescribed medicines safely as part of their care at home. The amount of help needed can vary significantly.
Some people remain fully independent and simply need an occasional reminder. Others may need practical help opening packaging, support ordering or collecting prescriptions, or a carer to administer agreed medication according to the care plan.
Our aim is always to support someone to remain as independent as safely possible.
We do not automatically take over medication simply because someone receives care.
We assess what the person can manage themselves and agree only the level of support they actually need.
Discuss the Support You Need →Not one single service
Different levels of medication support
Medication care isn't all-or-nothing. Depending on the assessment and care plan, support may include any one (or several) of the following.
1
Reminding
A carer can remind the person that it is time to take their medication, where they remain responsible for taking it themselves.
2
Practical assistance
Someone may know what medication they need but require practical help, such as opening packaging or accessing prescribed creams.
3
Ordering and collecting prescriptions
With appropriate consent and where agreed, we can liaise with the pharmacy or collect prescribed medication.
4
Medication administration
Where a person requires more direct support, a trained and competency-checked carer may administer medication according to the agreed care plan and medication record.
5
Monitoring and recording
Medication support is documented so there is a clear record of what has been given, refused or not taken.
The exact level of involvement is agreed following assessment.
Arrange a Free Care AssessmentOur starting point
"What can this person continue to manage safely for themselves?" not "What can we take over?"
Someone may only need help with one part of the process, a person who understands their medicines perfectly well but finds blister packs difficult to open needs something quite different from someone who can no longer manage their medication safely and consistently.
before we start
How we assess medication support
Before taking responsibility for medication tasks, we assess the support required and identify any relevant risks.
What medication the person currently takes
What they can continue to do independently
How medication is supplied and stored
Any difficulties with packaging
What needs to be recorded and monitored
How they manage it now
Where they need assistance
Whether there have been missed or refused doses
Whether family members or healthcare professionals are involved
We then agree the level of medication support with the person and, where appropriate, those involved in their care. This is recorded in the care plan.
who provides it
Trained and competent carers
Medication support involves responsibility. That is why a carer must not simply be shown what to do by a family member and then start administering medicines.
Care & Carers trains carers in medication support and checks their competence before they are signed off to provide it. Competency checking helps make sure carers understand the relevant procedures, how medication should be recorded and what to do if something is unclear or goes wrong.
Training alone is not enough. The carer must also demonstrate that they are competent to perform the medication tasks they have been authorised to undertake.
The rights of medication administration
Five checks, every time
When administering medication, carers follow established medication-safety principles. These include checking the:
1
Right person
2
Right medicine
3
Right dose
4
Right route
5
Right time
The person also has the right to decline medication. If someone refuses a medicine, the carer should not force or pressure them to take it. The refusal is recorded and dealt with according to the person's care plan and the circumstances involved.
Electronic medication records
Care & Carers uses Careberry as its electronic care and medication management system. Medication is entered into Careberry, and carers use the electronic medication administration record (eMAR) to record medication support, so there is a digital record of medication-related care.
Authorised clients and families can access relevant medication information where access is provided, based on the person's consent and agreed information-sharing arrangements.
Missed or refused medication
Medication does not always go exactly to plan. A person may refuse a dose, medication may not be available, or something else may prevent it from being given as expected. The important thing is that this is noticed, recorded and acted upon appropriately.
Our system can provide alerts where medication is missed or recorded as refused. What happens next depends on the medication, the circumstances and the care plan, where necessary, we seek advice from the appropriate healthcare professional.
beyond the home
Working with pharmacies, GPs and other professionals
Medication support sometimes involves more than simply giving a prescribed medicine. With the person's permission and where agreed in the care plan, support may include:
Contacting the pharmacy
Arranging or collecting prescriptions
Following up medication-related concerns
Supporting arrangements for a medication review
Communicating concerns to healthcare professionals
Liaising with the GP
The carer does not prescribe medication or decide independently that a dose should be changed.
reading the signs
If medication needs reviewing
Sometimes medication difficulties are a sign that the wider situation needs attention. A person may repeatedly refuse a medicine. They may have trouble swallowing it. Their routine may have changed. They may appear unusually drowsy, confused or unwell.
In these circumstances, the solution is not for the carer to make their own changes. Concerns are recorded and escalated so the appropriate healthcare professional can decide whether a review is needed.
Carers support prescribed medication; they do not prescribe or independently alter it.
Medication rarely stands alone
Medication support in context
Medication assistance is usually most useful as part of a wider picture of care, home routine and life stage.
Living with dementia
Dementia can make medication management increasingly difficult. Someone may forget whether they've taken a dose, or need a more structured arrangement as part of their dementia care plan.
Returning home after hospital
Medication can change following a hospital admission, new medicines, changed doses, or previous medication stopped. We review what's needed as part of the wider care assessment.
Part of everyday home care
A morning visit might include personal care, dressing, breakfast and morning medication; an evening visit might cover the evening routine and medication before bed. Supported naturally, not in isolation.
clear boundaries
What we do not do
Where a medication task requires a registered nurse or another appropriately qualified professional, it is handled through the correct clinical arrangement. The exact scope of any higher-level or delegated healthcare task is individually assessed and agreed.
Clear boundaries are important for medication safety. Carers should not:
X
Independently change a prescribed dose
X
Decide to stop prescribed medication
X
Give medication to the wrong person
X
Give medication by a route they are not trained or authorised to use
X
Conceal medication in food or drink without formal authorisation
X
Undertake clinical tasks outside their training and authorised role
X
Guess when medication instructions are unclear
Getting started
How medication support is arranged
1
Talk to us
Tell us what is happening and where medication management is becoming difficult.
2
We assess the situation
We establish what the person can manage themselves, what assistance is needed, and any associated risks.
3
We agree the level of support
Medication responsibilities are clearly documented as part of the care plan.
4
The carer provides agreed support
Only carers with the appropriate training and competency sign-off provide the authorised medication support
5
We record and review
Medication support is recorded electronically, and concerns or changes can be reviewed as part of the wider care plan.
common questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Can your carers remind someone to take their medication?
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Can a carer actually give medication?
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Can you collect prescriptions?
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Can you speak to the GP about medication?
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What happens if someone refuses their medication?
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Can family members see medication records?
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Do you use electronic medication records?
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Can carers give injections?
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Can carers change a medication dose if they think it is wrong?
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Can medication support be combined with personal care?
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Need help managing medication at home?
You may only need a simple reminder, or medication may have become one part of a wider change in someone's ability to manage safely at home. You don't need to decide the level of support before contacting us. Tell us what's happening, how medication is currently managed, and where the difficulties are, we'll assess the situation and explain what support may be appropriate.
There is no charge for the assessment and no obligation to proceed.
