Toot My Horn Tuesday: Different colored medications

I can tell the difference between two of my Mother’s medications. My mother, who has Alzheimer’s disease, takes Sertraline and Namenda. The tablets for both of these medications are oval and about the same size. The only difference, besides the printing on side 1 and 2 of the tablets (which is too small to read without a magnifying glass) is the colors.

The Sertraline, which is for depression, is a light yellow tablet.  The Namenda, which is one of the Alzheimer’s medications Mom takes, is gray. This morning, Mom dropped the Namenda tablet and it fell into the folds of the blouse Mom was wearing. When the C.N.A. came to give Mom her bath, the tablet fell out of the blouse. When I looked at the color, I knew immediately that it was the Namenda.

This is something I never dreamed I would know or be worried about; when I was growing up, I did not consider being my mother’s caregiver and having to know the difference in the colors or the sizes of her medication. Until Alzheimer’s disease began stealing Mom’s memory, she took her medication without assistance. Now I am the one who has to make sure she takes her medication on time.

I just thought of another advantage to knowing the difference in the colors of the tablets. I can write a description of them. That sounds like a good writing exercise. Write a description of my mother’s medications as well as my own.