Cura Cafe Questions and Answers
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Medication Management
Dear Shivonne,
I set up my father’s medications in a weekly pill case. He has morning and night medications. Our caregiver comes in the morning and stays till after lunch, so she is able to remind him to take his morning medicine, and she confirms with me that he has taken them. He has been taking his medicine before bed on his own, but there have been a couple of times recently where she found the nighttime pills were still in the case the next morning. I don’t live close enough to run over there every night, but it would also be expensive for us to hire a caregiver at night just for that. Do you have any suggestions about how I can monitor this from afar?
Thank you for sharing this important concern. A few strategies may help you monitor your father’s nighttime medications without adding the cost of extra care. One option is to try a smart pillbox (e.g., MedMinder, Hero, or PillDrill) that includes reminder alerts and remote monitoring, which can send alerts to your father and notify you if a dose is missed. Some pharmacies also provide blister packs or pre-sorted medications, which make it easier to see whether pills were taken. You might also ask your doctor or pharmacist if any of the nighttime medications could be safely switched to daytime use when the caregiver is present. As a low-cost backup, setting up a nightly phone call or automated reminder could help reinforce the habit. If available, a trusted neighbor, volunteer, or community program might also provide occasional evening check-ins. Starting with a smart pillbox is often the most effective step, and you can evaluate its success after a few weeks.
With care,
Shivonne
