Put Your Old PDA to GOOD Use

A caregiver contacted me recently and asked if OnTimeRx software would work on an old Palm devices. This person had an old M515 Palm PDA lying around and thought it might be useful for his elderly mother to remember to take her pills.

Not only will it work... That's a PERFECT USE for IT!! (It certainly isn't doing ANYONE any good stuck in a desk drawer storing dead batteries. )

I've been advocating the use of PDAs for older people for years. We can document that they work well by the results of a small compliance study that was conducted at PennState, using Palm devices. Dr. William Curry wanted to see if older patients in his Family Practice setting could handle the technology. Much to his delight and mine, they did very well. In fact the oldest participant in the study was 87 and she had a 97% compliance rate. It was almost too good to be believable, but it was true.

"In a pilot study in the fall of 2005, 10 individuals aged 36 to 87 years participated in a one month trial of the PDA and OnTimeRx software. Adherence improved by using the device and exceeded 95% in almost all participants, with a 97% rate in the eldest participant."

So... What's AGE got to do with it? Really!!!
Technology comes in many forms and can help people of all ages if they're willing to try new things.

One of the biggest barriers to more people using OnTimeRx software these days is the fact that Palm has stopped producing the Palm OS hardware. So about the only way that "Boomers and beyond" can utilize the PDA medication reminder approach is by borrowing old devices from their children or grandchildren.

This should not pose a problem for anyone concerned, because as each new device comes along, a person upgrades and rarely disposes of the old "obsolete" device. They're around somewhere, just aching to be put back into service for a "Good Cause"... and what better "cause" is there if Grandma needs to be gently reminded to take her pills.

Some older Palm and Windows Mobile devices can also still be found on eBay at really good prices - if you act fast. I would LOVE to see old PDAs collected and recycled for use by seniors - just like they do old cell phones.

Why not repurpose YOUR old hand held devices and turn them into excellent pill reminders for the grandparents in your life. Who knows? It may be just what the doctor ordered!... and he didn't even know it existed. Give it a try.

Let's Hope Obama Really Cares

A recent New York Times Editorial, "Caring for the Caregivers", concisely states why I'm so passionate about this topic.

Home health aides are vital to the health and well-being of many families in the US, and must be treated with care themselves. The work they do is difficult, tiring, and frustrating; and at the end of the day, the pay is often inadequate or unjustly withheld by unscrupulous home health agencies who hire undocumented workers.

Family members who provide home care for aging parents or other relatives represent another valuable resource that must be nurtured - not squandered. Family caregivers are by far the most cost effective means of dealing with a major health care problem in this country, but they can easily find themselves suffering from burn-out in this stress-prone situation. These people need our support and Congress and the Obama Administration must find a way to provide funding to help sustain the health of these caregivers. Some funds are available to pay for respite care, but I would bet very few family caregivers would have any idea how to apply for such assistance.

Let's hope that the health care reforms planned by the Obama Administration will recognize the value and support the needs of the family caregiver.

Time for a "Reality Check"?

I'm frequently asked to describe OnTimeRx automated reminders, and this is the usual and immediate reaction:

"What a great idea! My grandmother is always forgetting to take her heart medication. She could really use this!"

But when I describe the reminders to a grandmother, I get a totally different reply:
"Oh good gracious! I don't need reminders. I'm not that far gone!"

No disrespect, but.... "Granny" needs a Reality Check!

This is a typical and totally understandable reaction - even if it's based on an irrational fear. She may NOT be remembering to do everything as well as she thinks. Very few of us do.

For some reason, we all tend to think it's inevitable that someday our family will decide that we can't handle our own care anymore. Instead of doing something NOW that will keep that from happening, people tend to deny it will ever happen to them - until it's too late!

I worked for 18 years in a nursing home and I know from experience that most of the residents were placed there by their families when they felt the parent could no longer be trusted to take their medications responsibly.

Even though medication reminders seem like the perfect solution to the younger generation, Granny sees this as a reminder of a different sort and the "denial" stage kicks in and the barriers go up. . Basically she feels she's being told she's getting too old to live alone, and she will fight that to the bitter end. Unfortunately, it's a downhill slope from there, but it doesn't have to be.

Most caregivers are in "sandwich generatiion", the 30 to 50-something age range, and are very comfortable with technology. Why not try some reminders for your own meds or tasks first and see if they help. Then try to entice "Granny" to get with the program. After all, what has she got to lose but her "independence"?!!!

Who needs High-Tech?

When it comes to managing a bunch of pills every day... Simpler is better! There were some high-tech dispensing devices shown at CES, but "One size never fits all". When you consider the complexity and cost of those high-tech dispensing devices, y ou really can't beat the old stand-by 7-day pill boxes - especially when used with some kind of automated pill reminders.

A "low-tech" system is all most people need to manage even the most complicated drug regimen. This pill box-reminder combination comes in all "flavors" and sizes now, and they work very well together - no batteries or electricity needed.

For the automated medication reminders, take a look at OnTimeRx. Please... Try before You Buy - Free trials of all software and services let each caregiver decide if these reminders will help.

I'm the pharmacist and developer of OnTimeRx software and reminder services. OnTimeRx has been available since 2000 for Palm and PocketPC, and a version for Windows XP or Vista can be used as a stand-alone program or as a desktop interface with the hand held devices.

Microsoft selected OnTimeRx-Windows for their HP/Vista "SeniorPC" systems available through enablemart.com because OTRx-Win works great as a stand-alone reminder program for home-bound patients or it can be installed and used on a computer at work. All caregivers should know about these reminder tools and give them a try, just to see how helpful this kind of computer technology can be.

From my own experiences with hospice, I know that being a caregiver or home health aide can be very stressful. It makes a major difference when you're well-organized. So why not let computers remember all of these things and help everyone to stay on track and !?

Care Bears or Care Barriers?

What if Granny lives alone and starts needing help with daily activities? How do you handle it?
OnTimeRx automated reminders can be a wonderful solution as long as all parties "buy into" the process and there are no "surprises".

It is normal to be concerned when certain things start to slip, but It can get pretty tricky providing for the care needs of a senior without seeming to meddle or take over. The health and well-being of a parent may be your responsibility now, but most parents prefer to remain very independent and want everything to stay just the way it's always been.

Here's 3 things you should NOT do:

1. Don't ask her if she knows she's missing some of her pills. This puts her on the defensive right away, and she will probably deny that this ever happens or that it is a real problem.

2. Don't count the pills out in front of her to prove that there are too many left. Even though her prescriptions are lasting too long and it's quite obvious, this will tend to be demeaning.

3. Don't simply start sending reminder phone calls without her permission. It's not a good idea to surprise anyone with automated calls. They may get even more confused and wonder why this strange person is calling everyday.

So what can you do? Here's 4 things that should help::

1. Do pay her a sincere compliment. Tell her how much you appreciate all she's done for you in the past and ask how she managed to take such good care of the family all those years. Listen - actively and quietly. There may be some real gems in her answer.

2. Do ask her if there's anything you can do now that might make it easier for her at this stage in life? Turn about is fair play! This may also reveal some issues you might not have considered.

3. Do discuss her daily routine and find out which activities she really enjoys. If there are some that are a problem, ask what might make it better.

4. Do ask if she would be willing to help you eliminate some your daily stresses. Explain that you've found a very simple phone service that helps you stay organized, and ask if she'd like to try it, too. Explain that the calls are automated and it relieves you from "clock-watching" to get things done. Suggest trying the calls for a few days to see if a reminder might help her routine, too. If she mentions reminders for medications, GREAT! (But don't count on it...)

Several family caregivers have found that OnTimeRx reminders work well for non-medication related daily activities.

Example #1: One very socially active gentleman lives alone and likes to go out dancing every evening. He takes a nap in the afternoon and sometimes he sleeps so soundly that he would miss his "dancing date". Not only was this disappointing to his dancing partners, it thoroughly messed up his evening. So his daughter scheduled a wake-up call every afternoon that says: "Nap time is over, Dad! It's time to go dancing. Have a great evening."

Example #2: A lady living in an assisted living facility was frequently missing her mealtimes. The family paid for a full meal plan, but Mother often didn't get down to the dining room in time to eat. The daughter asked for her help. Because Mother was from the "Depression era", the daughter knew she didn't like the idea that food was being paid for and wasted, so she agreed to get a daily call at mealtimes and hasn't missed a meal since, and she's actually put on some needed weight in the process. Win-Win!