What to check when the family helps with a parent's eye drops

When a parent is on long-term glaucoma drops, or came home from cataract surgery with several bottles, having the family check in is often enough on its own to cut down on mistakes.

'Did you take it?' matters less than 'which one, and when?'

Asking only whether the drops went in may not be enough. With several bottles, what matters is which drug, which eye, and at what time. When the left and right eye have different prescriptions, the family gets confused right along with the patient.

Even when a parent manages on their own, reading small print on a bag or a bottle label every time is hard. It helps to show the drug name in large type and keep each bottle in a fixed colour or a fixed spot.

Worth checking as a family

• Whether all of today's scheduled drops went in
• Whether a one-eye drop accidentally went into both
• Whether a post-op drop that should have finished is still being used
• Whether there are eye pressure records to show at the next visit

Why the record helps

EyeDay shows completion day by day and holds eye pressure records alongside. Before an appointment you no longer have to rely on memory for 'has it been going in since last time'. Set it up on your parent's phone and learn it together as a family, and the whole thing gets easier.