Have you ever wondered if there is an easier way to manage the medications you or your loved one are currently taking? After all, between keeping the medication schedule straight and simply remembering to take them, managing your medications can feel like a serious chore. Unfortunately, if you make a mistake with prescription or over-the-counter medications, the consequences can be serious or even deadly.
If medication management is increasing your stress levels or putting you or your loved one at risk, there are solutions built with your situation in mind. Pillboxes are typically the first step to ease medication management stress, but savvy companies have used technological advances to increase individual safety, and further decrease caregiver stress. Automatic pill dispensers offer a variety of services, all geared to keep the medication process easy and free from dangerous consequences. Curious if an automatic pill dispenser could work for you? Here are just a few points to consider before making the investment.
Polypharmacy, or taking more than one type of medication daily, is common for seniors and those battling chronic diseases today. Complex medical conditions and chronic pain often drive physicians to prescribe multiple medications. While these medications are crucial for a higher quality of life, managing the schedule can be downright exhausting.
Automatic pill dispensers offer the chance to live independently and without fear of taking the wrong medicine at the wrong time. To alleviate that fear, the automatic pill dispenser takes care of dispensing the correct medication at the correct time, providing an audio or visual cue for the individual to let them know it is time to take their medications.
Beyond the normal memory loss experienced by most of us as we age, the Alzheimer’s Association reports that an estimated 5.7 million Americans live with dementia, which can cause confusion, decreased memory, and impaired judgment. Even if your loved one is in the early stages of the disease, managing their own medications can become overwhelming and dangerous and can cause you both a significant amount of anxiety.
Automatic pill dispensers can be set up to follow a medication schedule so you don’t have to obsess over it yourself. Thanks to an alarm, your loved one will know it is time to take their pills before continuing on with their day. No more double doses, or skipped doses, due to memory challenges.
It is difficult to make sound decisions or remember complex schedules when you are in pain. Whether it is chronic pain caused by arthritis or acute pain after a recent surgery, pain can send us looking for relief in any shape. However, taking too much pain medication can result in trips to the emergency room or admission to the hospital.
The best automatic pill dispensers only release medication based on the schedule you program into it. This takes a lot off the mind of someone living with chronic or acute pain and can decrease the chances of accidental overdosing.
Medication mistakes happen more often than you may think. However, once you have been to the emergency room for an adverse drug event, it is enough to scare you into preparing different plans to stay safe with medication dosing.
Automatic pill dispensers offer a wonderful way for seniors to live at home independently, without the added stress of managing their own medication schedule. These automated systems offer peace of mind for family members as well, notifying them in real time if a dose is skipped. This double-check system can significantly reduce the chances of accidental adverse drug events.
Medication management can feel overwhelming and difficult, but with the right resources in place in the home, it can become manageable. Learn more about medication management support and techniques by downloading The Ultimate Guide to Medication Management.
