Katherine Urbach:
April 28, 2008
Writing in regards to the AUTO PILL DISPENSER. This has made life easier. Do not have to Open bottles 2 or 3 X a day! I am very pleased!! Just fill once a week. Also serves an alarm clock.
Thank You again, wish you much success.
Sincerely,
Katherine Urbach
Mary Jo Felts:
April 18, 2008
Ron, I want to thank you for all the help and prompt attention you gave me at a crucial time in caring for my aging mother.
My mother is the type of person that is not comfortable with hired help in her home to aid with medications and I lived with the fact of finding a reliable employee.
The pill machine has solved the problem of dispensing her daily medications, as she had a 2 year history of over medicating. And the pill machine has given the family a sense of relief to carry on in our daily lives.
Mary Jo Felts
Vietnam Veteran Case Study:
Overview:
Larry Jackson spent his entire life caring for individuals in need. The 61-year-old Houston, Texas resident spent 13 months as a Sergeant in Vietnam, serving as a medic for the First Infantry Division. After serving his country overseas, Jackson spent 20 years in the Reserves and another 18 years as an emergency medical technician (EMT), using his services to save the lives of those in distress. Over time, the man who dedicated his life to helping others slowly began to need help of his own. Jackson suffered from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), diabetes and high cholesterol. His blood sugar often rose above 300. A lifelong medic, Jackson tried to self medicate with pills his doctor's prescribed. If he felt bad when he woke up, he took some medicine. If he felt good, he didn't bother reaching for the bottles or insulin.
He thought he was doing everything correctly until one day he forgot how much medication he had taken. Jackson, at the age of 60, overdosed on his prescription medication. When the man who had always taken care of others finally needed someone to take care of him, his wife turned to AutoPills.
Strategy:
AutoPills is the industry leader in automated-medication dispensers and was recently named Special Waiver Provider to the state of Tennessee as part of a bill that would allow funding for assistive technology to help keep individuals out of nursing facilities. The AutoPills device dispenses up to 15 pills per dose at up to five individually scheduled times per day with a programmable keypad. When medication is dispensed, an alarm sounds as a reminder to take the medication. The device continuously rings until the medication is taken, greatly reducing medication noncompliance.
"It's my best friend and my worst enemy,"Jackson quipped. "If it goes off at 8 a.m., it keeps beeping, and I have to get up and take my medication. A lot of times I don't want to get up because I'll be watching something or doing something, but it keeps beeping. But it's helped keep the medication at a consistent level in my system."
Jackson's wife fills up the medication dispenser - which at one point included 17 pills per day - each week with his medication. When he and his wife go on trips, he brings the AutoPills dispenser with him and hangs it in the hotel room. The device also gives him the option of dispensing the next dose earlier than scheduled if there is the chance he is out of the house for an extended period of time during the day.
Results:Both Jackson and his doctor were amazed at the immediate results. Jackson's blood sugar is now consistently between 95-122, and he is down to taking only seven pills per day. His doctor no longer tries to get him to take insulin, and he told Jackson that whatever he was doing, keep on doing it.
"Honestly and sincerely, I'd love to see this made available to other people," Jackson said. "It has prompted me to take my medication more consistently and on time."
Marian Bacon Case Study:
Overview :
Marian Bacon loves helping people solve their problems. Bacon, an Outreach and Independent Living Specialist at the Center for Independent Living in Memphis, Tenn., helps advocate self-sufficiency to fellow community members. She assists nursing home patients, helping them secure apartment rentals and develop skills so that they can live on their own. Bacon's patients respond favorably to her assistance because it wasn't long ago that she was in their shoes.
Like many of her patients, Bacon has a disability, and her family was unable to provide sufficient care. She needed somewhere to stay, and CIL helped her remain both independent and healthy by helping find her an apartment. Bacon takes various types of medication for high blood pressure and diabetes; however, remaining compliant was a struggle, even with CIL supervision. She was taking up to 24 pills per day, and her blood pressure was 180/100.
Not long after her arrival at CIL, AutoPills, the industry leader in automated-medication dispensers, gave a demonstration on how the device can help reduce medical non-compliance, an issue that contributes more than $200 million annually to the United States healthcare bill. Bacon's curiosity was piqued, albeit with some skepticism.
"I was scared to try," Bacon said. "I wasn't going to use it at first, but I was curious because I knew I needed help."
Strategy :The AutoPills device dispenses up to 15 pills per dose at up to five individually scheduled times per day with a programmable keypad. When medication is dispensed, an alarm sounds as a reminder to take the medication. The device continuously rings until the medication is taken, greatly reducing noncompliance.
In May 2008, the state of Tennessee unanimously passed a bill that will provide assistive technology for TennCare patients. AutoPills is recognized as a special waiver provider in Tennessee as part of legislation aimed at reducing nursing home admissions.
The device allows Bacon to be flexible with her medication depending on her work schedule, but never lets her forget a dose.
"Medicinal noncompliance is a huge problem, especially for senior citizens. They can misplace their medicines or lose track of time," Bacon said.
Results :
Bacon and her doctors were amazed by the results. Now, Bacon never fails to take the proper amount of medication. She is down to only 16 pills per day, and her blood pressure has dropped significantly. She describes her new life using the AutoPills device as "surreal."
"I used to take my medicine one day and then forget for a few days," Bacon said. "My doctors are so happy that I'm using AutoPills. I'm so much healthier now. I tell everybody about it."
