Automated Pill Dispenser Keeps Seniors at Home Longer

It is estimated that more than 75% of seniors prefer to remain at home rather than a nursing home or managed care facility[1]. The operative word here is “prefer”. While we can all agree that remaining at home is preferred, just how many can?

To remain at home one must be able to handle:

1. personal care including washing, dressing, hair and makeup
2. food including shopping & cooking meals
3. chores including house cleaning, sanitization and sanitation, laundry, outdoor gardening
4. bill payments, banking and financial matters
5. medical care including medication management, health monitoring, doctors visits

To assess the possibility of remaining at home, seniors are evaluated based on several health, physical and mental factors. Mild cognitive impairment is more pronounced in adding individuals. The level of cognitive ability needs to be reviewed to determine whether the senior can understand, take action and consume. If an alert to take your medications is raised, will the senior understand what that means? Will the senior be physically able to respond, walk or approach a dispenser, touch a screen to acknowledge or authenticate, retrieve and swallow their medications? Can they sort or organize their daily medication regimen? If the answer is yes to all, an automated home health and medication dispensing device like the RxPense is a useful management and monitoring appliance that will not only assist the senior, but keep their caregivers, family members, clinicians and entire circle of care informed. Stress is reduced. Medication adherence increased. Family care is expanded.

We understand that there is some time after the onset of dementia and the point in time when the senior can no longer remain alone. During this time, apparently and commonly a period of 2 years, automation can ensure the senior is safe, adherent to their medications and monitored 24×7. The RxPense with additional Panique fall detector, wearable sensors from Hexoskin and a host of other vendors can greatly assist with their Activities of Daily Living (ADL). Even the blind and those afflicted with varying degrees of loss of sight at any age, can operate the RxPense though voice commands and audible alerts.

Should the senior’s cognitive abilities decrease further, the choice to remain at home or be placed in a managed care facility becomes more relevant. At Medipense, we firmly believe that remaining at home is not only beneficial to the senior, their family and caregivers, but it may also be more financially viable.

In Canada, we have local health care organizations, government run and provided, that continually send personal support workers, technicians and nurses to service those seniors or chronic care patients in need, at their home. However, resources are extremely limited so a support worker can only spend a fixed amount of time each visit. If much of that time is spent providing, organizing and supplying medications, little time remains for cooking, bathing or any of the other ADL. Hence, the use of an assistive device like the RxPense can reduce medication error, risk and non-adherence while letting the caregiver focus on other important activities to brighter the senior’s day. They can also video conference with other members of the circle of care, deliver and respond to surveys and collect and record vitals at the time of medication consumption.

For those who even more impaired or disabled, the RxPense can follow them to residence or managed care facility, ensuring medication adherence continues.

[1] https://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/general/home-community-services-10.pdf

Each time your medications are ready, you are notified. When they are taken, you confirm. If you miss a dose, your caregivers are notified. When you need a refill, your pharmacist is notified. Not sure if you have taken your meds? Either a caregiver will remind you or simply touch the screen and you will have access to your activity log. The highest level of accessibility designed into each product and service we provide. No more fumbling around with packaging to open your medications – RxPense® delivers on time, every time, in an easy to take, pre-opened package.

In addition to Seniors, other users for RxPense® are those under the age of 65 that need assistance in medication compliance – the infirm. This group includes individuals ranging from those taking multiple medications to those needing help remembering when to take their medication. Some of these individuals would include patients recovering from brain surgery, patients taking a drug cocktail to combat HIV/AIDS, or Parkinson’s Disease.