Bit OT: Pill organiser

[Chris Hogg]

My elderly mother, 95, has to take a fair selection of tablets, daily. Her memory's not very good and she does get a bit muddled at times as to what she should take and when, and if she's already taken them.

Over the years, I've bought several pill dispensers, the sort that have lots of little lidded compartments for different days of the week, time of day etc. This sort of thing

But all that I've bought have the major disadvantage that the individual lids are clipped shut so tightly that she finds it impossible to open them, as she has severe arthritis in her fingers, and her hands are not strong. Some of them even defeat me! Appalling design!

Can anyone here recommend a pill dispenser whose lids are very easy to open?

[Bob Minchin]

I know it is not answering the question asked but that is UK DIY for you.

Could you print out a spreadsheet table for each month (say) and could she be relied on to tick the boxes as she takes the tablets?

[Martin Brown]

Provided her short term memory is OK you can print out a weekly list of what and when in a spreadsheet - if necessary colour coded by the packets. She crosses them off she takes them in time and date order.

I agree. Tiny fiddly catches and awkward hinges.

I you find one I would also be interesting in knowing about it. I have the same sort of problem for my elderly mum although for the moment she can get by with a checklist as above. I think some dispensing chemists will partition the drugs for you but I haven't yet explored that avenue.

Worth at least enquiring of her doctor if they have or can recommend something suitable for opening by arthritic fingers.

[Mr Pounder Esquire]

Ask on uk.people.silversurfers As the name implies, it is a group for the elderly.

[Tim Streater]

I just got one of these:

You rotate the whole lid to go from one compartment to another and the sliding lid jobby works well and is easy to open. You'll see my review there of the item - £1.70 cheep.

[F]

We didn't buy a dispenser for my father's pills: the chemist supplied it free and gave us a choice of design. Worth asking?

[Syd Rumpo]

A 'Nomad Box' is the thing, they're disposable blister packs. I think the quack can specify this on the prescription for the pharmacist to assemble.

Cheers

[puffernutter]

We have one as part of the monitoring system for my mother. It has 28 days worth of pills pre-loaded and moves one receptacle across once a day (it ca n be set more frequently if required). It also flags a alarm to the monitor ing centre if it hasn't been moved for over 24 hours (you have to pick it u p to get the pills).

Cheers

Peter

[Graham.]

Drugs that are assembled into blister packs for patients in nursing homes, and also in the community, are referred to a by health professionals as "MDS" Monitored Dose System.

I've not seen this type of electronic monitoring of what the professionals like to call "compliance", but I suppose it is the next logical step.

[Bill]

This sounds very similar to the packs that my mother had. The local chemist would fill the blisters with the required pills for morning, noon and night and then stick the foil across them. Each day and time was clearly marked.

I don't know if this has to be requested by the GP or maybe just ask the chemist.

It certainly made life a lot simpler for her.

[Jeff Layman]

If you can afford it, a "Medelert" dispenser can be very useful. We got one for a relative a few years ago who suffered from early Alzheimers, and needed to take regular medication for that and diabetes..

These are examples - you may find cheaper websites:

[Jonno]

Chris Hogg scribbled

Many chemists will repack medication into daily amounts. I know Lloyds do it.

[Chris Hogg]

Many thanks for the replies and suggestions. On the strength of TS's recommendation, I've gone ahead and ordered the circular one, and if that doesn't do the biz I'll try the Rolls-Royce Medelert one. Getting the chemist to package the pills in daily amounts is something I wasn't aware of, but will bear in mind now.

[Andy Burns]

Shouldn't it be called a "Septave"?

[Chris Hogg]

A name that might apply equally however many septa it had.

[S Viemeister]

Rather than lids, would zip-lock closures be suitable?

[Mike Barnes]

I'd recommend the ones I use but you don't seem to be able to buy them any more. :-(

How about making one yourself (this *is* uk.d-i-y after all)? It shouldn't be too difficult if it doesn't have to be small enough to be easily portable.

[~misfit~]

I don't see the OP so I'm answering through your post.

I've seen digital electronic birth control pill boxes on Asian 'gizmo' sites that beep at the opproproate time and have a mechanism that rotates the pill storage compartment do that the required dose is accessable. Perhaps it would be possible to take the guts out of one of those and 'hack' and upscale it? A challenging job though...

[News]

In message , Chris Hogg writes

My mother and brother are 500 miles away, so I have not seen her dispenser, although am told it is a battery powered Pivotell. Not cheap, but it works. Mum is 91, and memory is shaky, so carefully measured doses are pointless if she forgets to take them. The Pivotell is pre loaded by my brother, and dispenses, and bleeps, several times a day. The bleeps continue until mum actually removes the pills from the dispenser. It caters well for varied doses - some pills once a day, others up to four times etc.

[fred]

Since the heart attack I take pills twice a day. Three in the morning and o ne at night. So as soon as I enter the bedroom to go to bed I take that las tpill.

I keep the morning ones in a little wooden box I made (This is UK DIY ?). I t is long and thin with a captive sliding top and 7 little round compartmen ts in it. I refill it every Saturday. Kept on the window cill in the kitche n I go straight to it first thing each morning. Routine is a good reminder. I can see instantly if I have missed taking them. I just couldn't abide th e look of those plastic ones.