How to Teach Kids to Swallow Pills
Katie Taylor, CCLS Child Life On Call for SmileMakers Inc
As children approach discharge at the hospital, the care team is quickly and efficiently trying to coordinate how to get the patient home as safely as possible. We know that children do better in their home environment, so it is usually the team's goal to get kids there as safely and as fast as possible.
If the child is being discharged with medicine to be taken at home, the discussion about how to give meds at home is addressed. Will the child be given a liquid medication or pill form? How often do they need to take it? Can it be mashed and put in food?
Most medicine, with the exception of a few flavors (my personal favorite is bubble gum), doesn't taste great and needs to be taken a few times throughout the day for several days. This is the exact reason that the healthcare team needs to build a solid *positive* foundation for the child's relationship to taking medicine. You can read more about that here.
When a child reaches school age, you can begin to assess their readiness for swallowing pills. While it very rarely works on the first try, here are a few suggestions I've used in my practice to get kids practicing pill swallowing skills.
- Manage expectations. Yes, this includes the expectations of you, the child, their parents, and the care team. Just like anything you try for the first time, it probably won't be easy. It will take time, practice and lots of patience.
- Take the pressure off and leave plenty of time to get the job done. Because we know it probably won't work the first, second, or third time we try, it's important to keep the pressure off of the child. Do not expect that the child will be successful on the morning of their discharge. Pill swallowing needs to be practiced at least 3-4 times prior to discharge.
- Educate first. Make sure the patient knows this is another thing they HAVE to do. Get their buy-in by talking about the why first and foremost. Consider playing with pill putty before you even mention pill swallowing. The conversation can start by using play and introducing the concept of swallowing medicine in a pill form.
- Make it fun. Grab a keychain or pill case and stock them with different size candies. My favorites are Nerds, M&M's, Skittles, Tic-Tacs and Sweet Tarts.
- Demonstrate different techniques. I always bring two cups of water, one for me and one for the patient (and this is a great opportunity to get mom and dad involved, too!). Bring a straw and show different ways to swallow. Candy first, then water. Water first and then candy. Candy then water by a straw. Play around with different ways to get the job done.
- Reinforce the fun. Your assessment will go a lot further when you prioritize learning and fun over "you must get the job done." If you observe the patient becoming frustrated or upset, it's a good time to stop and change directions. Eat the rest of the candy with the pressure off. Now you're just having a candy buffet.
- Keep practicing using all these tools. A patient most likely won't get the hang of it during the first session but ask if you can come back the next day to play with candy again.
Download all these tips for free here.
How do you incorporate pill swallowing into your practice?
