Tips for Grandparents:

How to Prevent Medication Mishaps While Babysitting

There are many joys to being a grandparent. There are also many responsibilities. For example, when asked to babysit, grandparents are often required to give medications to their grandchildren. Here are some tips to help prevent medication mishaps Keep your medications out of the reach of your grandchildren Childhood poisonings are a leading cause of emergencies in young children. When your grandchildren are coming to your home, be sure to put your medicines in a place the children cannot reach.  If you need to take your medication in front of the child, explain this is a medication. Do not call medication “candy.” A child may accidentally take a medication thinking it is candy.

What you need to know before giving a medicine

If a child is on any prescription medications, obtain clear instructions from the parents on how to give the drug, how much, and when.  This is important information to know while you are babysitting. Write down the specific instructions and keep them with the medication. For example:

• How to give liquid medicines
Use calibrated medicine droppers or oral liquid syringes because they are more accurate than  household teaspoons. You want to make sure you are giving the child an accurate dose.

If you have to give a liquid medicine, don’t squirt the medicine at the back of the child’s throat because this can cause the child to choke and become afraid. Instead, point the medicine dropper or oral liquid syringe towards the inside of the cheek and slowly release the medicine. This will prevent choking or coughing up the medicine.

• How to give eardrops
Place the child in a comfortable position and explain what you are doing. Gently tilt the child’s head to the side and pull the child’s ear lobe down and back to open the ear canal. Place the specified number of drops into the child’s ear. Make sure not to touch the tip of the bottle to the ear in order to prevent contaminating the medication.

Place a reminder on the refrigerator of when to give the medication.

Find out from the parents what techniques have worked for them in giving medicines to the child and then use these same techniques. For example, some parents may let their child hold a favorite teddy bear and pretend they are giving the medicine to the teddy bear first.

Keep a record for the parents and yourself

Keep a record of the time and amount of medicine that was given so the parent knows what the child has taken. This will also help you remember if you have already given the medicine. It is so easy to get busy and forget if you have already given the medicine to the child.

What to look for after giving a medicine

If you notice any unusual symptoms such as itching of the skin, hives, skin rash, coughing or difficulty breathing, call the child’s doctor immediately or the emergency number because these may be signs of an allergic reaction to the medicine.

Keep a list of important emergency numbers handy

Make sure you have a list of important emergency numbers and contacts including the poison control center, emergency services, the child’s pediatrician, parents phone numbers, and your local pharmacy on the refrigerator door for easy access if you have any problems or questions.

Get the parent’s consent

Make sure you have a consent form from the parent giving you permission to seek medical assistance in case of an emergency. Most facilities will require informed consent from the parents before initiating any services.

Appreciation expressed to Shenandoah University Pharm.D. candidates Mona Jamaldinian and Noeil Luther.

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