Getting Started as a Caregiver
What is a Caregiver in MedTracker?
A caregiver is someone authorized to help manage medications for one or more patients. You might be:
- A family member caring for an elderly parent
- A spouse helping with medication management
- A professional caregiver
- An adult child coordinating care
Getting Access: You must be authorized by a healthcare provider. The patient's provider creates your caregiver account, you receive login credentials via email, and you're assigned to specific patient(s).
Understanding Your Role
✅ What You CAN Do
- View patient medications - Complete lists, schedules, adherence stats
- Log doses - Record when medications are taken, missed, or skipped
- Request refills - Submit and track refill requests
- Monitor adherence - View weekly/monthly statistics and alerts
- View dose history - See complete logging history and patterns
❌ What You CANNOT Do
- Prescribe or change medications (only doctors can do this)
- Approve refill requests (only pharmacists/providers)
- Add new medications (must be prescribed first)
- Delete patient records (only administrators)
Your Caregiver Dashboard
Your dashboard is designed for managing multiple patients efficiently.
Top Statistics
- Total Patients - How many patients you're caring for
- Medications Managed - Total active medications across all patients
- Doses Due Today - Total doses needed today (all patients)
- Pending Refills - Refill requests awaiting approval
Patient List
Each patient card shows:
- Patient name
- Active medications count
- Next dose due (with time and urgency color)
- Weekly adherence percentage (with color coding)
- Alerts (missed doses, low inventory)
- Quick access button to patient details
Color Codes
- Green Everything looks good
- Yellow Needs attention soon
- Red Urgent action needed
Alerts & Notifications
| Alert Type | What It Means | Action Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Missed Doses | Patient missed scheduled medication | Check on patient, log dose status |
| Low Inventory | Medication running low (<7 days) | Request refill soon |
| Pending Refills | Refill awaiting approval | Monitor status, check pharmacy |
Managing Multiple Patients
Switching Between Patients
Method 1: Click on any patient card from your dashboard
Method 2: Use the patient selector dropdown in navigation menu
Method 3: Click "View All Patients" and select from the list
Organizing Your Workflow
Morning Routine:
- Check dashboard for all doses due today
- Prepare medications for each patient
- Log doses as they're taken
- Note any missed doses or issues
Weekly Review:
- Check adherence for each patient
- Review inventory levels
- Submit refill requests as needed
- Note patterns or concerns for doctors
Priority Indicators
Focus on patients with:
- 🔴 Red adherence (<70%) - Needs immediate attention
- 🔴 Multiple missed doses - May need intervention
- 🟡 Low inventory - Refill soon to avoid gaps
- 🔴 Urgent doses - Due within 1 hour
Logging Doses for Patients
Why Accurate Logging Matters
Accurate dose logging helps:
- ✅ Track adherence for doctor discussions
- ✅ Identify patterns (forgotten morning doses, etc.)
- ✅ Trigger refill reminders at the right time
- ✅ Ensure patient safety
- ✅ Maintain compliance with care plans
Quick Dose Logging
From Dashboard (Fastest):
- See upcoming doses for all patients
- Click "Log Now" next to the dose
- Done! Recorded as "Taken" at current time
Best for: Regular, on-time doses with no issues
Detailed Dose Logging
Use when you need to:
- Record a dose taken earlier
- Mark a dose as missed or skipped
- Add notes about side effects
- Document unusual circumstances
Steps:
- Go to the medication details
- Click "Log Dose"
- Fill in: Scheduled time, actual time, status, notes
- Click "Log Dose"
Pro Tip: Add detailed notes! Examples: "Took with breakfast as directed", "Missed - patient was sleeping", "Patient complained of nausea 30 min after"
Logging for Multiple Patients
Organized Approach:
- Prepare all medications first
- Use pill organizers labeled by patient
- Double-check each medication
- Set them out in order
- Administer systematically
- Give medications to one patient at a time
- Watch them take it (don't just leave pills)
- Immediately log the dose
- Log as you go, not later
- Prevents forgetting who took what
- Reduces errors
- Takes only 5 seconds per dose
The Five Rights of Medication Administration
Before giving any medication, verify:
- ✅ Right Patient - Confirm who you're giving medication to
- ✅ Right Medication - Check the medication name and label
- ✅ Right Dose - Verify the amount (number of pills, mg)
- ✅ Right Time - Ensure it's the scheduled time
- ✅ Right Route - Oral, topical, injection, etc.
Handling Missed Doses
What to do when a patient misses a dose:
- Don't panic - It happens!
- Don't double up - Never give extra without asking doctor
- Log it as missed immediately
- Add a note explaining why
- Contact the provider if critical medication or multiple doses missed
Documenting Side Effects
If patient experiences side effects:
| Severity | Examples | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Mild | Minor nausea, slight headache | Monitor and document |
| Moderate | Vomiting, dizziness, rash | Call provider |
| Severe | Difficulty breathing, chest pain | Call 911 immediately |
Example Note:
"Patient took 10mg Lisinopril at 8:00 AM. At 8:45 AM, complained of dizziness when standing. Sat down, drank water. Resolved by 9:30 AM. Monitoring blood pressure per care plan."
Monitoring Adherence
Understanding Adherence Percentages
Adherence = (Doses Taken / Doses Expected) × 100Example:
- Patient should take 14 doses per week (2 per day)
- Patient took 12 doses
- Adherence = (12/14) × 100 = 85.7%
Adherence Color Codes
- 🟢 90% or higher
- Excellent adherence
- Keep up the good work
- Maintain current routine
- 🟡 70-89%
- Good, but room for improvement
- Identify why doses are missed
- Adjust routines if needed
- 🔴 Below 70%
- Needs immediate attention
- Contact healthcare provider
- Review medication schedule
Improving Adherence
Strategies that Work:
Environmental Cues:
- 📱 Set phone alarms for medication times
- 📅 Use pill organizers (7-day or monthly)
- 🏠 Keep medications in visible location (but safe from children)
- 📝 Post medication schedule on refrigerator
Routine Integration:
- Tie medications to daily activities (breakfast, bedtime)
- Use same time every day (builds habit)
- Prepare next day's medications the night before
Patient Engagement:
- Explain why each medication is important
- Celebrate adherence successes
- Involve patient in the process (if able)
- Make it a positive experience, not a chore
When to Contact the Provider:
- ❗ Adherence drops below 70%
- ❗ Patient consistently refuses medication
- ❗ Multiple doses missed in a row
- ❗ Side effects interfere with taking medication
- ❗ Schedule is too complex to follow
Don't wait - poor adherence can lead to serious health consequences!
Managing Refill Requests
When to Request Refills
Timing is critical - request refills when:
- 📊 7-10 days of supply remain - Ideal timing
- 🔔 Low inventory alert appears - Don't wait!
- 📅 Before weekends/holidays - Pharmacies may be closed
- ✈️ Before patient travel - Ensure adequate supply
Never let medications run out! A gap in medication can cause serious health issues.
Refill Status Progression
| Status | What It Means | Your Action |
|---|---|---|
| Pending | Submitted, waiting for review | No action needed |
| Approved | Provider authorized, pharmacist will fill | Check pharmacy for pickup time |
| Denied | Not approved - check notes for reason | Follow instructions in notes |
| Filled | Medication ready for pickup | Go to pharmacy, update inventory |
After Picking Up Refills
Important: Update the medication supply!
- Pick up medication from pharmacy
- Count the pills/doses received
- Go to patient's medication in MedTracker
- Click "Edit" and update "Current Supply"
- Add note: "Picked up 90-day supply from CVS on [date]"
- Save changes
Caregiver Best Practices
Daily Medication Routine
Morning:
- Check MedTracker dashboard
- Review doses due today
- Prepare all morning medications
- Administer to patients
- Log doses immediately
- Check for alerts or low inventory
Throughout Day:
- Set alarms for afternoon doses
- Log doses as they're taken
- Monitor for side effects
- Respond to any alerts
Evening:
- Administer evening medications
- Log all doses
- Review adherence for the day
- Prepare tomorrow's medications
Weekly:
- Review adherence for each patient
- Check inventory levels
- Submit refill requests as needed
- Clean and refill pill organizers
Medication Storage
Proper storage is critical:
- 🌡️ Store at room temperature unless otherwise directed
- 🌊 Keep in original bottles with labels
- ☀️ Avoid direct sunlight
- 💧 Keep away from moisture (not in bathroom!)
- 🔒 Lock up controlled substances (opioids, etc.)
- 👶 Keep all medications away from children
Self-Care for Caregivers
Caregiving is demanding - take care of yourself!
Prevent Burnout:
- 🛌 Get adequate sleep
- 🍎 Eat healthy meals
- 🚶 Exercise regularly
- 🗣️ Ask for help when needed
- 📅 Schedule respite care
- 👥 Join caregiver support groups
Remember: Taking care of yourself allows you to better care for others!
Frequently Asked Questions
How many patients can I care for?
There's no hard limit, but consider your time availability, complexity of medication regimens, and comfort level.
- 1-2 patients: Very manageable
- 3-4 patients: Requires organization
- 5+ patients: Consider professional caregiver training
Quality over quantity - Better to provide excellent care for fewer patients than stressed care for many.
What if I forget to log a dose?
Log it as soon as you remember:
- Go to the medication
- Click "Log Dose"
- Enter the actual time it was taken
- Add note: "Logged late - forgot to record earlier"
Can other family members access MedTracker?
Only if they're authorized as caregivers. Contact the healthcare provider to add another caregiver. Multiple caregivers benefit from:
- Shared responsibility
- Coverage when you're unavailable
- All see same information
- Better continuity of care
What if patient refuses medication?
Try to understand why:
- Side effects bothering them?
- Forgot why they need it?
- Difficulty swallowing?
- Tired of taking medications?
Gentle strategies:
- Remind why it's important
- Make it easier (offer water, juice, break pills if allowed)
- Give choices ("now or in 5 minutes?")
- Don't force - take a break and try later
If patient consistently refuses critical medications, contact healthcare provider immediately.
How do I know if a medication is working?
Look for:
- Symptom improvement (pain decreasing, blood pressure normalizing)
- Lab results (cholesterol lowering, blood sugar improving)
- Absence of problems (no seizures, no clots)
Track observations in MedTracker notes - add notes about symptom changes and share with provider.
Never stop medications because patient "feels fine" - many medications prevent problems you can't see!
Quick Reference Card
Five Rights of Medication Administration
Before giving any medication, verify:
- ✅ Right Patient - Who is this for?
- ✅ Right Medication - What medication is this?
- ✅ Right Dose - How much should be given?
- ✅ Right Time - When should it be taken?
- ✅ Right Route - How should it be taken?
When to Contact Provider
| Urgency | Situations | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Urgent | Severe side effects, patient refuses critical meds, multiple missed doses, signs meds not working | Call immediately |
| Non-Urgent | Persistent mild side effects, adherence problems, expired prescriptions | Call during business hours |
| Can Wait | General questions, schedule optimization, minor issues, cost concerns | Discuss at next appointment |
Emergency Contacts
- Medical Emergency: 911
- Provider Office: ________________
- Pharmacy: ________________
- Technical Support: support@domain101.xyz
- Security Issues: security@domain101.xyz