Promoting Independence and Safety with Medication Technology for People with Disabilities

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Author(s)

Seunghee Lee, James Houseworth, Betul Cakir Dilek

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Cost:

1 or more copies for $20.00 each

Pages:

346

Description

Using technology for people with disabilities can promote independence and allow greater access to community participation and inclusion. The current process for medication passing in provider supported residential homes, almost universally does not incorporate technology. This chapter will focus on how using medication technology to automate medication passing, in residential provider homes, results in a decrease in medication errors, decrease in staff time spent on passing medications, and allows an individual with disabilities more access to the community. To test this, we implemented medication technology for 33 individuals living in group homes to measure outcomes compared with 76 individuals living in group homes who did not get setup with the technology. The study found the use of medication technology significantly decreases risk factors associated with medication passing, allowing an individual to more safely be involved - resulting in increased independence. Medication errors reduced by over 50%. Time spent administering medications was reduced to ⅕ the time for staff. All of the individuals with the medication technology became more involved with their medication passing. By combining all of the medications into one, easy to administer, system; staff were more safely able to ensure the individuals took all of the necessary medications while out in the community. In a few cases, this also resulted in an individual being able to safely access the community without staff assistance, as they or a family member could safely administer the medications with less risk of meds being missed or forgotten. 

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Details

Date

2021 

Type

Book Chapter 

Edition

1

Publisher

Karolinum Press [Czech Republic]