Lovely senior life

[For Seniors] DIY Ideas to Prevent Forgetting to Take Medication

Social worker / Care workermoko
My name is Moko, a mother of three who admired my mother and worked in the care industry as a care worker and as a medical social worker (MSW) in a hospital. I will be drawing on my previous experience to write mainly about caregiving. Thank you in advance.
Care Worker Initial Training Certification ObtainedNakajima Junko
Leveraging my experience working as a care worker at a day service, I am currently active as a writer in the caregiving and welfare fields. Beyond writing, I hope to expand my work into web design and illustration. I am a mother of three who has begun studying to become a certified social worker.

It seems many older adults often forget to take their medications.

Managing medication is especially difficult for those living with dementia.

There are concerns that forgetting prescribed medications can worsen illnesses or even lead to life-threatening situations.

It’s also worrying when people who take many medications mix them up.

So this time, we’re sharing handmade ideas that help older adults prevent both missed doses and overmedication.

We’ve gathered ideas that make medication management easier and reduce confusion.

These can be made by older adults as a craft activity or created by staff to give as gifts.

Please use these ideas to help prevent missed doses and overmedication.

[For Seniors] DIY Ideas to Prevent Forgetting to Take Medication (11–20)

Manage 31 days of medication! Date-labeled case

Made a pill case using that item from the 100-yen shop. No more worrying about whether I took today’s dose! Designed to prevent forgetfulness.

Manage 31 days of medication! Date-labeled case

Let’s make a pill organizer that can manage 31 days’ worth of medication! Use a case with 31 or more compartments, such as those sold at 100-yen shops.

Just put date labels on each compartment and you’re done.

You can stick the labels inside the compartments or on top of the lid—either works! Decorating with cute stickers can also make you feel more motivated to use it.

Since you’ll be using one with 31 or more compartments, you can also store pills that have piled up because you forgot to take them, as well as as-needed medications.

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A pouch that can manage medication for four doses a day

Morning, noon, evening, and before bed! A case that makes managing a week’s worth of medication easy.

A pouch that can manage medication for four doses a day

Some older adults need to take medication as many as four times a day—morning, noon, evening, and before bed.

Here’s a handy item for them.

Attach a laundry bag or a soft plastic sheet to a fabric in your favorite pattern or color, and create divided pockets for about four doses × one month.

Adding decorations like lace or appliqués not only makes it cute, but also helps distinguish it from others—highly recommended.

Add a button and make it like a notebook for easy carrying.

If you use a lovely pattern, you’ll want to pick it up and open it, which helps prevent forgetting to take your medicine.

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pill case made from a Tupperware container

DIY pill organizer to prevent missed doses for the caregiving generation

pill case made from a Tupperware container

Prepare separate containers for each time you take your medicine—morning, noon, evening, and before bed—and store all the prescribed pills for that time in each container.

Just add label stickers to each container noting the time (e.g., morning, noon), the names of the medications, and the dosage for one intake, and you’re done! We also recommend intentionally using containers of different shapes and sizes instead of matching ones.

You can also decorate the containers to tell them apart more easily.

If you want a simple way to prevent forgetting your medication, give this a try.

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Pill case made from reclaimed materials

[Medication to take] [Prevent missed doses] [Two weeks’ worth] [Morning / Noon / Evening] [3D compartment] [Visualization]

Pill case made from reclaimed materials

Let’s make an item to prevent forgetting to take your medicine using containers that can be stacked after use, such as pudding cups, natto containers, or egg tofu containers.

First, wash the containers thoroughly and let them dry.

Then, attach index labels to the containers with the time or day you take your medication, and you’re done.

Stack them in order so that the container with the next dose to be taken is at the top.

After taking the medicine, refill that container so it can be used again, and place it at the bottom of the stack.

If you store the stacked containers in a box that matches their height, it will also help keep out dust.

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Arranging wall pockets

[You can get everything at the 100-yen shop] A super easy way to manage your medications

Arranging wall pockets

Here’s an idea that uses transparent wall pockets you can even buy at 100-yen shops.

Apply your favorite patterned masking tape to the wall pocket openings to make them easy to identify.

Then, on the top row of the wall pocket, attach labels made with a label maker or letter stickers indicating the medication name, the time to take it, and the day of the week—then you’re done! For pockets holding especially important medications, such as those taken only once a week or once a month, it might be helpful to add a distinctive sticker as a marker.

Choose a wall pocket with a number of compartments that suits how often the elderly person needs to take their medications.

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Medication management machine

[The Dream Machine for a Life of Extravagance] The complete story of how a homemade allowance machine made from cardboard went out of control

Medication management machine

An idea that deserves attention for preventing missed doses while adding a bit of fun to daily life is a medication management machine made from cardboard.

If you use a house-shaped motif for the design, it will look friendly and blend naturally into your living space.

With dividers for Monday through Sunday, moving a lever advances the date, and the medication for the corresponding day can be retrieved from the slot at the bottom.

By avoiding mechanical devices and making it hand-operated, it becomes more intuitive for older adults to use.

Made from familiar cardboard, this machine can bring a sense of excitement to health management time.

It’s a proposal for a new daily habit that blends functionality with playfulness.

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[For Seniors] DIY Ideas to Prevent Forgetting to Take Medication (21–30)

origami pill case

[Origami | Easy] Medicine Holder (to prevent forgetting to take pills) — Origami Medicine Case

origami pill case

With origami, you can easily make an item to manage a day’s worth of medication.

Take a sheet of origami paper, fold it in half into a square twice and into a triangle twice to make creases, then unfold it.

Fold each of the four corners inward along the creases, flip it over, and fold each of the four corners inward again the same way.

Next, open up the side you folded last from the reverse side—if it forms a container divided into four sections, you’re done! The shape and method are the same as the classic origami toy known as a “fortune teller” or “cootie catcher.” Write the times to take your medicine—morning, noon, etc.—in each section, place the pills in the corresponding compartments, and give it a try.

It’s also recommended as an origami activity for older adults.

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In conclusion

There were plenty of ideas that make it easy for older adults to manage their medications.

By making good use of 100-yen shop items and scrap materials you have at home, it seems like preparation can be simple.

Handcrafted items can feel special, and taking medicine might even become an enjoyable part of the day.

Please feel free to use the ideas we introduced as a reference.