Automatic Pill Dispensing - Pill Boxes

When I was taking care of my mother and my friend’s father, one of the hardest and most important things to keep up with was times and dosages of medications. As both their illnesses progressed, the medications increased and the times varied. At that time, I made a chart and used a wall calendar to keep up with the medications. It wasn’t the best system, but it was all I had to work with. Avoiding medication errors can’t be overstated and with today’s innovative tools for dispensing medicines, there is no excuse for error.
It can sometimes become especially confusing to our elders that live alone. They may forget to take their medication, or can’t remember whether they have taken it at all. Fortunately today, the industry has developed products that make it easy to avoid mess-ups in medication dispensing by the caregiver or the person taking the pills. As someone who has been involved in care giving and watching the frustration of the patient trying to remember what or if they took the right pill, it is a real issue. It is critical in caring for an elderly person who is living independently and self-administering medication that they consistently remember the times and dosages. There are some very innovative and ‘smart’ pill boxes and organizers in the market place today. Some pill boxes even have a timed alarm and or flashing light as a reminder to take medication. Some also come with keyed locks for those who forgot they already took their medication for the day.

It wasn’t that long ago when families took care of each other and lived as a little community. The parents, grandparents, children all lived together watching over one another and each helping in his or her own way. They would not have considered sending an elder to a nursing home, and in many ways, I think we have lost that part of being a family. It was this way I felt about caring for my mother. She raised us children, very well I might add, and when the time came when she needed care, she deserved to be in her own home. We were fortunate to have been able to have her home with us throughout the last fourteen years of her life. It was an incredible experience, for all of us. As for me, I would not change a thing those last years. I learned more about her, and myself than any other time in my life. But the most important thing I learned was compassion, and that love is the only thing that really matters. And it is such a gift that we can give our parents - whether they choose to live independently or with their families to provide the very best of care we can. And hopefully, our children will do the same for us when the time comes.

If you are caring for an elder who is living alone, there are some things you can do to make sure proper doses of medication are being taken. An automatic pill dispenser is an excellent way to monitor medicine dosages. Another thing you can do is make sure you are familiar with the medications the person you are caring for is taking - the precautions, side effects and drug interactions. If a new medication is started, watch to see how he or she is doing.

This article written by "Safe Home Sue", a product specialist for Safe Home Products®