All of us must face the daunting task of one day caring for our elderly parents. This becomes even more of a challenge if your parents are living far from your home. One of the true blessings of today’s technology capabilities is the myriad options available to help care for one’s aging parents. There is a wealth of information readily available on the internet and many services and companies cater to this growing need as the baby-boomer generation moves towards their later years.
Medication is a vital concern. Not only what type of medication, but tracking the medicines your parents take and administering them correctly and in a timely fashion. Today there are many medication reminder systems available. Studies show that non-compliance can have very serious health consequences. Sometimes elderly patients simply forget to take their medicine. Sometimes the doctor did not spend enough time explaining how to properly take the correct dose. Sometimes patients simply start to feel better and think they no longer need to take the prescription. However, those with a chronic illness can suffer greatly without a proper regimen of medication.
Pill boxes are the old fashioned method used for years. They can have slots for different times of the day and if caregivers simply aid in loading the medicines a week in advance, this system will work for many. Newer versions of the electronic pill boxes come equipped with alarms and the ability to store medications and dose them out based on a pre-set instruction.
Reminder Alarms are tied into software programs that sound an alarm when the patient must take their dosage. They can be programmed to work at various times of the day depending on the patient’s individual needs. Watches can also be programmed for this purpose. There are even versions of alarms that fit into one’s pillowcase to wake up the patient when it is time to take their medicine. Electronic reminders are relatively inexpensive.
Finally, there are pill dispensers tied into a computer software package that will actually dole out the prescribed medicine at the correct time. Dispensers are the most expensive systems in the marketplace, but many times they are the best option. Some of these dispensers can be remotely monitored by the caregiver to ensure medication is taken at the correct time and in the correct dosage.
Determining the best option for your particular situation is a discussion best held with the patient, the doctor and the caregiver.