Medication Reminder App Suggestions

Katie Roo · November 2023

Today was one of those "I cried, he whistled" days. He was really upset at something I did because it wasn't the way he wanted it. It really hurt my feelings, and he went on like nothing happened. Only to find out, he did not take his meds for yesterday afternoon, this morning, or this afternoon. Even though I try to remind him, I wonder if it is better to download a medication reminder app, rather than use the alarm on his phone. Can anybody recommend one (he has an android), or have you found the alarm is best?

Thanks for your suggestions.

Kraft44 · November 2023

I use Amazon Echo for reminders and wake-up alarms. Reminder to take medicine, check the stove is turned off.

TerrificWeber · November 2023

I have everything in a weekly pill box but I put the medication out for him in the morning to take with breakfast. I give him the nightly medicine at bedtime. I cannot rely on him or any reminders to make sure he has taken his medication.

M1 · November 2023

Hi Katie, there are several similar threads right now. There comes a point where nothing short of direct supervision will ensure proper medication. It's probably sooner rather than later, and this may be your wakeup call. That said, my partner was very resistant to my taking this over, even though i could play the doctor card that this was my bailiwick. What worked best was just to get in the habit that we took our medications together at breakfast and dinner.

Katie Roo · November 2023

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/187492#Comment_187492

Our pharmacy delivers pill packs, which has been a tremendous help. The pillbox worked for awhile, and the pill pack is easier now. Just cannot rely on him to take them on his own any more.

Elshack · November 2023

I definitely would suggest that you administer the pills and see that he takes them and swallows them. I like the idea of you taking your pills at the same time even if you only take a vitamin. You can't expect your DH to remember to take the pills even with reminders etc,.

Namaste1369 · November 2023

I believe it is time to take over and administer the pills. Even though I use the weekly container, and my wife hast to take a pill separate from others, if I don’t follow through with making sure she takes the second batch they sometimes are forgotten by her. This is even with my putting the pills on the table and we try to take them together.

Katie Roo · August 1

We have found something that works reasonably well - at least for now. The pharmacy makes the pill packs, so no need to figure out what to take, or risk making mistakes filling the weekly container ourselves. I have scheduled his pill-taking times as "tasks" on my phone calendar, remind him when it's time, and he has to tell me he took them, and I will mark them completed. I, at times, check to make sure he did take them bc sometimes he will say he is going to take them, only to get side-tracked and forget. There will be a time when I'll have to take them to him each time, but for now, this is our process. Might be helpful for someone else.

RayeMc · August 1

I took over filling my DH's weekly pill containers when I saw he was getting his pills confused. I then soon discovered that he was missing doses. At that point, I suggested he let me dispense them at the proper time and, amazingly enough, he seemed to welcome not having to keep up with them himself. Whatever works for each individual is the way to go with always being aware that things may change yet again.

mrahope · August 2

It took quite a long time, but I ended up having to put the pills in front of him and watch to see that all of them got swallowed. Given that he was on some meds that were 3x/day it became a really laborious task. But I couldn't find a good alternative, either.

Anna2022 · August 3

Each morning I have put out my DH's morning pills next to his coffee. He takes them only if the pill dispenser is placed on his upside down coffee cup. If the pill dispenser is not in this obvious place where he has to move them to get a cup a coffee, he won't remember to take them. I've been doing that for about 1 year now. Meanwhile, I thought my DH was taking his night pills regularly - at least that's what he told me each night when I asked. Then, I found out when we packed for a short trip and he put all his pill bottles in the suitcase one week in advance and never took them for a whole week! Since that time, I have taken over and put them into a weekly dispenser on a weekly basis. He believes that this was his idea and that he organizes the pills into the dispenser. Whatever. Now I watch and remind each night - sometimes he bristles, other times he does not. But at least he takes the pills.

M1 · August 3

there comes a point for everyone when nothing short of direct supervised administration will work. Lesser measures may temporize for the lesser impaired for a while, but you can’t take it for granted, obviously.

l7pla1w2 · August 4

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/217746#Comment_217746

Same thing happened to me. It was obvious DW was having trouble allocating the meds correctly, so I offered to help, and she accepted. She has a week-at-a-time AM/PM pill box. The AM pills are easier to remember, because we both have pills to take at breakfast. The PM pill is easier to forget, because it's at dinner time and I don't have a PM pill, so I set a reminder on my phone. The phone alerts with a cutesy tone. DW asks (every time!) what that sound was, and I tell her, "That's a reminder to me to remind you to take your evening pill." We usually laugh.

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