The Alzheimer's Digest: Dementia and Medication Management

New Service to Prevent People with Dementia from Missing Medications*

Are you a caregiver for a loved one with dementia?

Do you fear your loved one is not taking his or her pills correctly?

Nearly two-thirds of Americans who take medications report that they are not always taking their medications as prescribed, while only 33 percent say they never miss taking their prescription medications. Not surprisingly about 20% of adverse drug events seen in outpatient care due are to medication errors and 10% of hospital stays are the result of a medication error [1].

For people with dementia, it can be particularly hard to stick to a medication routine. Missing medications can make it increasingly difficult getting back on track, with health risks worsening when dementia is present with other conditions, such as a heart condition². The responsibility often falls on a caregiver to sort bill boxes, order refills, keep records, and attempt to ensure that their loved one is taking the right medications at the right time.

PillPack has teamed up with The Caregiver’s Voice to give you a free subscription to their service for as long as you use it. The only thing they ask for is your review after using PillPack’s service for one month (after the second of your two 14-day shipments). PillPack is expanding their service to reach people with dementia, and needs caregivers’ experiences with the sign-up process and transferring and receiving your loved ones’ medications in order to ensure they continue meeting customers’ needs. Your review will be published at The Caregiver’s Voice REVIEW.

The Caregiver’s Voice asked Jacqui Miller from the PillPack customer service team, “What if your loved one only takes supplements?” and she explained, “We can source most brand of supplements and include them in your PillPack. We don’t mark them up additionally, so generally the price is the same as at a retail store.

”

If my mother were alive today, I’d sign up for this service so that my father wouldn’t have to sort, split, and package her heart medicines–7 pills 4 times a day. –Brenda Avadian, MA TheCaregiversVoice.com

Click to check out PillPack’s service or click on the right sidebar.

Interested in this free benefit in exchange for your experience? Send Brenda Avadian an email.

*Although the PillPack program is open to all, The Caregiver’s Voice focuses on caregivers for people with cognitive impairment caused by dementia and seeks a caregiver caring for a loved one with dementia to review PillPack’s service in return for a free membership.

[1] “Interventions to Improve Adherence to Self-administered Medications for Chronic Diseases in the United States” Annals of Internal Medicine, Ann Intern Med. 2012 Dec 4;157(11):785-95.

[2] “The effect of dementia on medication use and adherence among Medicare beneficiaries with chronic heart failure” American Journal of Geriatric Pharmacotherapy. 2012 Feb;10(1):69-80. doi: 10.1016/j.amjopharm.2011.11.003. Epub 2012 Jan 20.