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My grandfather is taking care of dispensing the medication for my grandmother, but I think this would be one less thing for him to worry about (and remember) when they''re home together during the day. Any recommendations on a reliable brand that is easy to use? Thanks!

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A 4 compartment x 7 day box is wonderful! BUT eventually mom's memory got so bad, that didn't work. She could not remember the day of the week. She could not remember if it was morning or evening. Depends how alert Grandpa is.
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My experience is the same as @pamstegman. When I initially gave her the dispenser she was able to fill it herself. Then I had to fill it and she could take the meds out when she needed to and now she doesn't know the day of the week and at different times of the day gets confused, so I also had to give it to my dad to dispense to her. As of now, it has worked well. My dad is 89, but he is much more aware of things than mom who is 85. It's getting harder by the day.
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hello
I had similiar issues also. So that it was less confusing I set out the pill box of the day of the week only after I filled the week with meds. That way my mom had only that pill box to look at. All the others pill boxes days were set away from her sight. And of course this meant that a visit every day was essential. On the days I had a care giver other than my self the care giver would place the day of the week box in a specific area for the next day. Mom had an issue with sight. And I found this to be helpful. Also check the floor for any dropped medications. I had instructed my mom if anything she may have found on the floor not to take it and leave it on her dish. That's why it was important that I had to really check to see if anything fell on the floor carpet daily. Hope my suggestions are helpful. Take care. Equinox
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Emila, I used one for a few months, but experienced some of the same problems already mentioned. I received calls from mom about the buzzing. how to open the door, taking pills out and then putting them aside. This dispenser worked fine, is a bit more expensive and a second tray with a cover can be purchased. With the second tray, I could fill it ahead of time, carry it over to moms and swap it out quickly. There are 29 pill bins, so you can have 28 bins if you need meds once a day, 14 bins for meds twice a day, etc down to 4 times a day. Bins are not that big so large pills will consume space. I would start with the small ones and then put larger ones on top. Mom lives in assisted living now and they have taken over medications. She is pleasant but constantly confused so this works better for me.

http://www.amazon.com/MedReady-P1600-Medication-Dispenser-Flashing/dp/B001D94LA2/ref=sr_1_5?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1422791587&sr=1-5&keywords=medication+dispenser
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Phillip s make s one . They also make a medical alert pendant that registers if the person wearing it has fallen( it detects impact of a fall ).
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I found a great one on amazon called med-q. you can set it for once a day or twice a day and it has an alarm that goes off for 5 minutes. it eventually gets louder and the day lights up that you are supposed to open. then if it doesn't get set, it goes off every 25 minutes til you hit the next alarm button. not cheap (about $70) but it is the best investment I made.
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There is a product called med ready medication alert system. We got it online at the Alzheimer's store. When programmed the device has tha day's (morning or noon or evening) pills available in a tray. A light flashes, a beep sounds and there was one that would trigger a phone call alert that pills were not taken. It is impossible to double dose. Easy to program and just a brilliant solution to double dosing or forgetting pills. My mother would say her pills are singing to her.
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I had a pill box that I could set the time and it would say "it's time to take your
Pills" and continue until you did. I don 'to remember the name but you could google talking. Pill boxes and see what comes up.

SueG
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A unique "hi-tech" approach to meds mgt./adherence is aavailable from a product called MedMinder. Provides audible, visual and even phone call reminders and more.
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Walgreens or Walmart has a selection of plastic dispensers that go from one week to one month daily individual slots for meds, so you have a choice which one to choose. Check them out and ask your grandfather to select the one which he thinks he can use easily.
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We are from Chicago and I use a service from Walgreens that puts my dad's medications in a book form that is label am, mid-morning, noon, mid-afternoon, etc. The pills are in a punch out format. This is used in nursing homes. Walgreens does not charge me any extra to do this and the medications are sent directly to his home monthly. Just an idea that works for me.
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We bought the MedReady for my Mom years ago. It was a godsend. Prior to getting it we had the usual days of the week plastic container. We had trouble with mom either skipping the pills or taking three days worth all in one day. The MedReady would be locked and held enough pills for four weeks when she only needed once per day, and two weeks worth later when it was twice a day. When she briefly needed an antibiotic 4 times per day, it accommodated that too, with the timers being easy to change. When she eventually went into the nursing home, Dad was already dependent on it ringing, as his pills were twice a day also. So I started putting his pills in it immediately it wasn't needed for Mom anymore. The first one lasted nearly eight years, before the gears wore out. The company replaced the parts, no questions asked. We eventually passed that on to a friend, and bought the version with the extra loud alarm and flashing light (Dad is very hard of hearing) The first version one had no light and was a normal level buzz. My folks would likely have overdosed themselves, or had to be put in a care facility years earlier without that machine.
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Medready! Used one for the last 5 or 6 years of my mothers life. She would take her pills when the buzzer went off even with serious dementia. I filled it. She used it till she died at 90!
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There are also dispensers that are "locked" so a person can't go ahead and take a dose ahead of time or double dose due to forgetting they already took meds. One example:
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Hi,
I bought this one for my mom. And, it has been a life saver!!

amazon/Medcenter-Talking-Alarm-Medication-Reminder
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I ordered a dispenser from Philips Medication Dispensing Service.
It is awesome!! It talks when pills are ready, says please press the button to dispense, when she removes meds it says "thank you, please drink extra fluids",
(options other than fluids). If mom doesn't take meds from the machine, in an hour it calls me, if her electric goes off, it calls me. The only way she can mess up is to take meds from the dispenser and then not take them. People occasionally think they are taking too much medicine and want to stop all meds. I usually see the little cups and we have a talk about how only the doctor can say you can stop your meds. I thank God I searched till I found this machine.
It cost me $99 for set up and instruction, and $50.01 a month on my Visa. I can call that same number 24/7 for help or a problem. (for instance, I asked them how to "purge" the machine and start over with an empty machine). I fill little plastic cups and put lids on and then insert two at a time as the machine instructs me to. (and then pray that mom takes them when they dispense.). I'm there every other day or so to take her things and to make sure she has what she needs. The cups and covers are free, I can order anytime when I start getting low. It's worth every penny to not worry as I did before.
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I like the alarming med dispensers. make sure there are enough slots if she takes meds 3 or 4 times per day. Some go from a week up to a month. Weekly does nicely. It alarms when each medication is due so the alarm is a reminder to take the medication. I've used them with people who have early stage dementia and have had good luck with them. Speak to your pharmacist or look them up online. They come in different sizes and price ranges.
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We had one also that you set up for about 2 weeks and everyday it would alarm in the morning and at night to let you know it was time for your meds. Let me look around and see if I still have it.
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