Can you bring supplements for a patient who is in rehab?

Check with the facility.

My understanding is that there are new hospital protocols that allow patients to take OTC vitamins and supplements without a doctor's order. My husband also takes AREDS2 and when I mention the hospital's requirements to my friend who is an attorney-nurse practitioner, she told me that the hospital is out of date.

My mother is in ALP and has several supplements that she takes. I just ask the dr. to order them and he did. Most of them Medicaid will pay for but some things they won't so I just pick them up myself, label them and take them into the facility. I check periodically when I visit to see if they are getting low on any so I can order them and keep them in stock.

What I did to be able to have my mthr given her normal suppliments is that I downloaded the labels from the vitamins and printed them off. I then wrote a letter explaining to the doc that these were the suppliments mthr had been taking and that we needed him to "prescribe" them for her to be able to take them while in the facility. That is what the facility required for her to be handed them by their medication cart person. In addition, a copy of the prescription had to go to the pharmacy, and I had to take them the bottle of vitamins if they did not carry it. Our facility also requires all meds to be repackaged by the pharmacy into packets for when they are to be given (time or meals) so there is no mix up. So I specified that he needed to include in the prescription to give these vitamins with breakfast so the pharmacy would package them correctly.

We used a doctor for this who was very happy that we were interested in helping her this way. If your mom's cardio is who wants her to have the pills, he would be the one to ask if he would prescribe these for her as well.

In my mom's case her Dr. knows what supplements she takes - Vitamin D, multi-vitamin, for example - and has that information on her computerized chart, so it was no problem for her Board and Care to administer them. Check with her regular Dr. or look at some paperwork given after your last visit with that Dr. and see whether the info. on the supplements was included.

However, I imagine this would apply to the types of vitamins, minerals, herbals, and other supplements that are found in drug stores or food markets, including one's that specialize in large vitamin/mineral aisles. If the supplements you are giving are unusual then you have a real issue on your hands.

So, first check her paperwork from her last Dr. visit. If the supplement information isn't there then contact her regular Dr. and ask him/her to add this information to her medication regimen at the nursing home.

From a liability standpoint, a facility must have a doctor’s order. My dad takes some supplements and AREDS for macular degeneration. There was no problem getting those approved. The facility orders them and dispenses them. Saves me from having to buy and supply.

AhmiJoy, you are correct, but she was on those supplemenmts for years and they gave her strength. I understand that they will not give it until the doctors order. Then I ll bring when I ll visit. And believe me Co Q10 only helps with antihypertensive medications, all cardiologists accept that. But thank you for your answer, you definetely right that some supplements can react with other meds

Ok, but then who will stop me to give it to her, while I am here?

Facilities cannot allow outsiders to bring things like supplements in and give them to their residents. They must follow the doctor’s orders about what their patients take. There are some supplements that could have an adverse reaction with some medications. If they aren’t aware of what a family member has given their patient, they may not be able to treat them. Talk to the nurse about it and if it’s feasible, they can get the supplements themselves and give them to the patient.

They follow only doctors orders and I am pretty sure anything they r given is ordered thru their pharmacy. You can talk to the Head nurse and see what their procedures are.