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Visualization helps elderly remember to take medications

Case Management Weekly, June 10, 2004

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When seniors visualized themselves testing their blood sugar and following medical advice, they were 50 % more likely to do so regularly than those who use other memory devices, according to a recent National Institute on Aging study.

The older adults in the study spend one three-minute session picturing what they would be doing and where they would be when they had to check their blood sugar next. These adults fared better than those who repeatedly recited the instructions for testing blood, and those who had to write a list of pros and cons for testing blood sugar. Participants had to test their blood sugar four times a day for three weeks. "Getting older people to remember to take their medications and conduct self-monitoring tests is a huge issue," says Dr. Denise Park, PhD, the study's co-author. "Although many strategies have been tried, none appears to be as potent or as simple as using one's own imagination."

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