Parents and Meds

4.YOUR WORRY: My parents won't remember to take their medications -- or they'll take the wrong ones.

TECH SOLUTION: Automatic pill reminders. By the time a person reaches age 70, says Walker, she's probably taking about 12 medications. The inability to take them unsupervised accounts for up to 40 percent of nursing home admissions. Fortunately, many devices available now can remind your parents to take their pills and keep them from getting their prescriptions scrambled. These range from pillboxes with alarms and timers to services that will send your parents medication reminders by phone, e-mail, or pager. MD.2, for example, is a monitored dispenser that you or a caregiver can load and refill, and your parents can dispense all their pills right on time, with one touch of a button. Rescue Alert will monitor your parents' pillbox electronically and alert a dispatcher if the lid isn't opened when it's supposed to be. Do an Internet search for medication reminder for a tour of the many options and find the one that's the best fit for your parents. Prices vary.