Taking Control of Your Medications When You Have Early-Stage Alzheimer’s

Dealing with your daily medication schedule can feel like a lot to manage when you’re living with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. You may be taking pills or infusions for Alzheimer’s-related symptoms in addition to pills for other health conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol. Remembering what to take — and when — can become harder with mild memory changes.

While pillboxes are a good way to organize your pills or capsules, if you also take injections or eye drops or receive infusions, you’ll need a separate plan for those.

For many people in early-stage Alzheimer’s, one of the biggest challenges is simply keeping track of daily pills, says Victoria Shada, MD, a geriatrician at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

“Some of my patients compare keeping up with their doctors’ appointments and medication regimen to a full-time job,” says Dr. Shada.

The good news is that this is one case where technology truly does help make life easier and safer. There’s a wide range of options for helping you keep track of your medication schedule, including smart pill dispensers, smart pill bottle caps, and blister packs that organize your pills according to time and day.

Which one is right for you? “That depends on lots of factors; there is no one-size-fits-all,” Shada says.

Your comfort with technology, your level of support, how many medications you take, and your budget are a few considerations. Here are some options to consider as you decide what best suits your situation.

Smart pillboxes are designed to keep you on track with exactly what to take and when. They can include features such as:

Reminders
Audible alarms, flashing lights, or notifications on a connected device tell you when it’s time to take your pills.

“It’s a baked-in reminder that can be incredibly helpful for people with early Alzheimer’s. The tools reduce missed doses simply by prompting you at the right moment,” Shada says.

Timed Dispensing
Compartments open only at the scheduled time, which lowers the risk of taking pills too early or too late.

Locking Mechanisms
Locked compartments prevent double dosing.

“This is a key advantage: You cannot inadvertently take tomorrow’s doses, or if you forgot yesterday’s, you can’t go back and accidentally take those either,” says Shada.

The locking feature helps prevent overdoses of all medications, even common ones that could be harmful if you accidentally take too much, she adds.

Connectivity to Apps or Caregiver Dashboards
Many devices connect to a smartphone or tablet, and some allow a caregiver to see whether you’ve taken your medications.

“That kind of monitoring can give both the patient and their support person peace of mind,” says Shada.

Choosing the right device depends on how many medications you take, how often you take them, and how comfortable you are with technology.

“Start by talking with your doctor or pharmacist,” says Dr. Shada. “They can help you narrow your options based on your needs and your budget.”

Automatic Pill Dispensers

These devices look like a traditional pill carousel but with added technology. They typically have 7 to 28 compartments and can alert you when it’s time for your next dose. Automatic pill dispensers are one of the more affordable options: They can often be found for less than $100 and typically don’t require subscription fees.

Some models, such as the LiveFine automatic pill dispenser, accommodate up to nine dosage times throughout the day. The dispenser notifies you when it’s time to take your medications with both audio and visual alerts, and the alarms have adjustable tones and sounds.

“These could be good for people who want something familiar but need extra reminders and structure,” says Shada.

Multi-Medication Sorting Dispensers

Systems like MedaCube or Hero can hold a month or more of medications and automatically sort and dispense the right dose at the right time. They often include touch screens, caregiver alerts, and detailed tracking.

The devices require periodic loading, typically every 30 to 90 days. They walk you through setup step by step with an app. Once you’ve created your medication schedule in the device’s app, the dispenser downloads your information and prompts you to begin loading the pills.

Each medication needs to be loaded into the proper cartridge, and all the prompts need to be followed. Ideally, a pharmacist or caregiver would help you set this up. If that’s not an option for you, some companies provide one-on-one live support to help walk you through the process.

The dispensers can be pricey. The MedaCube lists at $1,999, and some other, more-expensive models can cost several thousand dollars and charge a monthly fee. The multi-medication dispenser Hero is available through a monthly prescription, can load up to a 90-day supply of meds, and offers 24/7 live support.

“These machines are very effective for people with complex regimens. But you have to consider whether the investment makes sense for your situation,” says Shada.

Your comfort level with new technology — even one that promises to make your life easier — is something to consider. However, many smart pillboxes are designed with large displays and try to keep things as intuitive as possible.

If your care team or doctor thinks you are a good fit for a smart dispenser, you can always give it a trial period. Many companies allow you to return it within 90 days if it’s not working for you.

Smart Pill Bottle Caps

Smart caps can help you by telling you when the cap was last opened. The caps also have alarms that remind you when to take your medication and alert you if you’ve forgotten a dose.

These can be appealing if you don’t like to learn new technologies or download apps. Smart caps, which can be purchased from retailers like Amazon and Walmart, are also more affordable than some of the more high-tech dispensers; each cap costs about $50.

The downside is that if you are taking several medications, keeping up with all the individual bottles could be confusing, and at $50 a cap, the costs could add up.

Blister Packs

Some pharmacies may offer an option called blister packs, also called pill packs or compliance packs. They are pharmacy-prepared sheets that organize your medications by day and time. Each dose is sealed in its own bubble so you can quickly see what to take and whether you’ve already taken it.

Many people who struggle with sorting or remembering doses find blister packs quite helpful, says Shada.

Pharmacies prepare these weekly or monthly, and many can update them easily if your prescriptions change. Blister packs don’t have alarms or locks, but they greatly reduce the risk of mixing up pills. They also make it clear when doses are missed.

“They’re a great middle-ground option if setting up a pillbox is becoming too hard or you’re spending a long time double-checking,” says Shada.

Even if you’re taking your medications independently, you may need help filling your pill organizer or programming a smart pillbox. A caregiver or pharmacist can load your weekly or monthly medications and make sure everything is set up to ensure you will get the correct dose of your medications at the right time.

“It’s very common for people with early Alzheimer’s to manage daily dosing just fine but to need help with the setup,” says Shada.

Shada emphasizes that whoever is helping you organize your pills needs to make sure they have an updated and accurate medication list.

“Make sure your primary care provider or whoever is ‘steering the ship’ knows the specialists you are seeing and all medications you are on, and make sure your pharmacy team has that updated list,” she says.

Over time, you may need more than just help setting up your pillbox. Shada says the following signs or behaviors may suggest you need more help or support:

• It takes you much longer than usual to fill your pillbox, or you get confused during set up.
• You’re missing doses even with reminders.
• You’ve had an unexplained fall that could relate to medication timing or interactions.
• Mistakes, like doubling up on pills or missing doses, become more frequent rather than a “one-off.”

“When these things start happening, it’s time to talk with your doctor. Sometimes the solution is a different tool. Other times you may need someone to assist you more regularly,” says Shada.

• Using tools like smart pillboxes, smart caps, or blister packs can make it much easier to remember what to take and when, especially if you’re managing several medications at once.
• Talk with your doctor or pharmacist about which medication management system fits your needs, as well as your comfort with technology and your daily routine.
• If you notice that you’re missing doses, feel confused when setting up your pillbox, or having unexplained falls, it may be time to get additional support with your medications.
• Asking for help when you need it can keep you safer, make treatment more effective, and help you stay independent for as long as possible.