How to Involve Grandparents and Caregivers in Pediatric Medication Safety

Every year, more than 58,000 children under five end up in the emergency room because they got into medicine they weren’t supposed to. And in nearly four out of ten of those cases, the medicine came from a grandparent’s purse, nightstand, or kitchen counter. It’s not because grandparents are careless. It’s because they don’t realize how quickly a curious toddler can find and open a pill bottle-even one with a child-resistant cap.

Why Grandparents Are at the Center of This Problem

Grandparents are more likely than parents to take multiple medications daily. On average, they’re on 4.7 prescriptions or supplements. That’s more than double what most parents take. And with over seven million grandparents in the U.S. living with or regularly caring for their grandchildren, the risk is real. A 2023 poll from the University of Michigan found that 34% of grandparents take daily medication. Many keep their pills in places that are easy for them to reach-like the bathroom cabinet, bedside table, or handbag. But those are exactly the spots a child can reach too.

Here’s the scary part: 29% of grandparents transfer pills out of their original bottles into weekly pill organizers or small containers. These often don’t have child-resistant caps. And 12% keep meds on their nightstands or dressers. Even when they store pills in a cabinet, 45% still keep them in the bathroom-where kids can climb up and open the door. A 2017 study showed that after a simple 15-minute safety talk, grandparents who received the guidance improved safe storage from 39% to 78% in just a few months.

What Grandparents Think vs. What Actually Happens

Many grandparents believe child-resistant caps are enough. But that’s not true. According to Consumer Product Safety Commission testing, about 30% of 4-year-olds can open those caps in under five minutes. And 62% of grandparents still think their grandkids couldn’t get into the bottle-even though the data says otherwise.

Parents are more likely to lock up meds. About 58% of parents use locked storage. Grandparents? Only 22%. And while 63% of parents say they always check where medicine is stored, only 38% of families have a clear conversation with grandparents about it. That gap is dangerous.

One grandmother on Reddit shared how her 3-year-old grandson found her blood pressure pills in her purse. She didn’t even realize they were still there after a doctor’s visit. "Thankfully I caught him before he put one in his mouth," she wrote. Now she keeps them in a locked box in her closet and tells her grandson, "These are Grandma’s special vitamins-only grown-ups can touch them."

But not everyone is open to change. Some grandparents feel criticized when asked to lock up their meds. One man on a parenting forum said, "My wife said it’s insulting to suggest we’re not careful." That’s why the message matters. You don’t say, "You’re putting the kids at risk." You say, "Let’s make sure we’re both keeping our grandkids safe."

The PROTECT Initiative: What Works

The CDC and Consumer Healthcare Products Association launched the "Up & Away and Out of Sight" campaign over a decade ago. It’s still the gold standard. Here’s what it teaches:

• Keep all medicine-prescription, over-the-counter, vitamins, and supplements-in a locked cabinet or box.
• Store it up high-above 4 feet, where kids can’t reach.
• Always use the original bottle with the child-resistant cap.
• Never leave medicine on a table, nightstand, or in a purse-even for a minute.
• Dispose of old or expired meds properly. Many pharmacies take them back for free.

A 2017 NIH study showed that when grandparents got a 15-minute session with a pharmacist or nurse showing them how to lock a cabinet and open a child-resistant cap, safe storage jumped from 39% to 78%. And it stuck-90 days later, 100% remembered what to do. That’s way better than handing out a pamphlet.

How to Talk to Grandparents Without Offending Them

The biggest barrier isn’t ignorance-it’s defensiveness. Grandparents love their grandkids. They don’t want to be seen as careless. So the way you ask matters.

Instead of saying, "You need to lock your meds," try:

• "Let’s make sure we’re both doing everything we can to keep the kids safe."
• "I heard the CDC has a great tip about where to store medicine-want to hear it?"
• "My daughter and I are working on a safety plan for when the kids come over. Can we make one together?"

Use stories, not lectures. Say, "A friend’s grandchild got into her blood pressure pills last month. She didn’t even know they were still in her purse." That opens the door without blame.

Practical Steps for Grandparents and Caregivers

Here’s what you can do right now:

1. Find a locked box or cabinet. It doesn’t have to be fancy. A small lockbox from the hardware store costs under $20. Install it on a high shelf or inside a closet.
2. Put all meds back in original bottles. Throw away those weekly pill organizers if kids visit often. They’re not childproof.
3. Check your purse, coat pockets, and nightstand. If medicine is there, move it. Even one pill can be dangerous.
4. Use the "Safety Talk" with grandkids. Say it like this: "Medicine is not candy. Only adults give medicine. If you find medicine, tell an adult right away." Say it often. Kids remember.
5. Dispose of old meds safely. Take them to a pharmacy that offers a take-back program. Don’t flush them or toss them in the trash.

What Parents Can Do to Help

Parents, you’re not off the hook. You need to talk to grandparents, too.

• Ask: "Where do you keep your meds when the kids are here?" Be calm. Be curious.
• Offer to buy a lockbox. Make it a gift. "I got this for you because I know how much you care about the kids."
• Send a quick text with a link to the CDC’s "Up & Away" video. It’s short, in multiple languages, and shows real examples.
• Make a simple chart: "When the kids come over, here’s where we keep meds: Locked box in the closet."

One family started a "Medicine Safety Day" every time their grandkids visited. They’d sit together and go through the grandparents’ meds, toss expired ones, and put the rest in the lockbox. The kids even drew pictures of "medicine monsters" that had to be locked away. It turned a scary topic into something fun and memorable.

What’s New in 2026

In January 2024, the CDC launched a free digital toolkit for grandparents with short videos in English, Spanish, and Mandarin. The videos show exactly how to lock a cabinet, open a child-resistant cap, and dispose of pills. Early results show 85% of viewers watch all the way through.

There’s also a new NIH-funded app called GRAND SAFE that sends gentle reminders to grandparents before holidays or visits-when the risk is highest. It’s still being tested, but early feedback is strong.

And in 2023, the American Geriatrics Society added pediatric medication safety to its official guidelines for senior care. That means doctors are now supposed to ask older patients: "Do you care for young children? Let’s talk about where you keep your meds."

What Doesn’t Work

Don’t rely on:

• Just telling grandparents to "be careful." It doesn’t stick.
• Handing out flyers. Only 12% of grandparents say they’ve ever gotten safety info from a doctor or pharmacist.
• Assuming child-resistant caps are enough. They’re not.
• Waiting until after an accident happens. Prevention is the only safe option.

And don’t blame. Grandparents want to protect their grandkids. They just need clear, kind, practical help.

Final Thought: It’s Not About Control. It’s About Care.

This isn’t about telling grandparents they’re doing it wrong. It’s about working together to make sure no child ever has to go to the ER because they found a pill they thought was candy.

One grandmother told a nurse, "I didn’t know my grandkids could open those caps. I thought they were foolproof." After the demo, she smiled and said, "I’ll put them in the closet. And I’ll tell them these are my secret vitamins."

That’s the moment change happens-not with a lecture, but with a conversation, a lockbox, and a shared love for the little ones.