Hero Uses Technology to Make Medication Management Easier


Written By:

Updated: March 12, 2023

Categories

One of the major concerns family members of senior loved ones share is worry about medication management. It’s no wonder seniors and their family members are anxious; adverse drug events drive nearly 450,000 older adults to emergency rooms annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Fortunately, Hero has harnessed technology and innovation to provide easy solutions within the home to keep seniors independent, and safe. 

Hero Addresses the Dangers of Medication Mismanagement

The Hero system aims to prevent medication mismanagement among older adults. Seniors living at home alone or with a partner are at a higher risk of adverse drug events. Adults over the age of 65 need to visit emergency rooms nearly twice the amount as their younger counterparts. Reasons for adverse drug events can vary. Sometimes seniors double or triple their medications accidentally while other times they skip doses completely. 

Research demonstrates prescription use among seniors is only on the rise, dramatically increasing between 1988 and 2010. Today, the average healthy senior takes at least 4 prescription medications daily, and that number does not include vitamins or other supplements.

With seniors needing prescription medications but not always able to effectively take medications on time and as prescribed, technology can step in to fill the gap and keep seniors safer when it comes to taking their pills.

Older adults of all abilities and challenges can struggle with taking their medications and have an increased risk for an adverse drug event. Common medication challenges for seniors can include:

  • Decreased fine motor skills due to arthritis or other conditions that make opening bottles difficult or frustrating
  • Taking too many medications at too many different times throughout the day can make it feel impossible to keep up while still enjoying daily events
  • Forgetting to take medications at the prescribed time due to busy social calendars or due to confusion
  • Increased cognitive difficulties due to Alzheimer’s Disease or other types of dementia that make medication management too complex to handle
  • Forgetting to refill medications until they miss a dose
  • Busy caregivers are unable to stop by weekly to set up pillboxes
  • Partners are unable to give medications effectively and on time

    Hero Medication Dispenser

    Hero releases correct medication, at the correct time, with the push of a button

How the Hero System Provides a Solution

While medication challenges are quite common with seniors, medication management technology is becoming readily available in the home. Hero, a medication management system, offers a variety of services, bells, and whistles that offer realistic solutions within a senior’s home and schedule.

Automatic Pill Dispenser

Hero’s system holds up to 10 pills, each with a 90 day supply

Hero is a combination of multiple services, starting with a pill dispensing machine that makes traditional pillboxes look like antiques. Hero’s electronic machine plugs in easily and can be programmed to automatically dispense correct medications, at correct times, into a waiting plastic cup. 

When it is time to take medications, Hero alerts the senior with audio and visual cues. Then, the senior simply pushes a large button on the machine and the pills are dispensed immediately. If the senior has not pushed the button 15 minutes after the initial cue that it is time to take medications, Hero will send an update to any caregiver you have listed with the service.

Beyond the automatic pill dispenser, Hero also includes access to an app designed to keep your medications in order and to keep caregivers informed. Seniors can download the app to their phone as well as caregivers in order to schedule medications, receive reminders, and track progress. The app even detects if there are potential adverse reactions between medications.

Finally, Hero Fill is a complimentary service for monthly members that will deliver medications, including over-the-counter pills, to the senior’s home when needed. 

There are other options beyond the Hero system for medication management. Systems like the ePill MedTime Station or the MedMinder Maya dispenser are alternatives to compare the Hero system to.

Fast Facts About the Hero System

Hero offers a quick solution to a serious concern among seniors and their family members. Caregivers can keep up with their loved one’s medication management, and seniors can take one more task off their full plate.

Hero Health App

Hero’s app provides communication between the system, the senior, and the caregivers

Here are the fast facts about the Hero System:

  • The automatic pill dispenser connects to the home’s WiFi
  • Prescription schedules and other information can be protected by passwords you select
  • The dispenser can hold up to 90 days of up to 10 pills. Each type of medication is stored in a cartridge within the Hero, making it difficult to access pills when it is not time to take them.
  • You can schedule in other treatments, such as dressing changes or ointment applications, via the Hero app. It will remind you when it is time to perform these treatments.
  • You can get pills ahead of time so you can take them with you on vacation or a day away from home. Regular dispensing will resume when you return home.
  • Don’t have a device to download the app? No problem. You can access your Hero account and enjoy all the app features from your desktop via Hero’s member site.
  • Hero costs an initial $99.99. Thereafter, a monthly subscription fee of $29.99 is applied. Members must sign up for at least one year.
  • You can use a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Healthcare Spending Account (HSA) to pay for your Hero.
  • Hero is regulated by the FDA as a medical device.

If your senior loved one takes multiple medications throughout the day, investing in technology to decrease the risk of adverse drug events is well worth it. The Hero system offers services designed to make medication management easy for seniors living at home alone or with a partner. If you are looking for a full-service medical alert device, consider reading our Life Alert reviews.