According to a 2014 AARP study, 87% of seniors age 65+ want to stay in their current home and community. In 2007, a rural North Dakota woman was feeling the same when she and her family sought a way to help her stay home after a hospitalization due to medication mismanagement.
This woman’s healthcare worker referred her to IPAT for a medication management solution. After evaluating her needs, IPAT staff determined that a locked medication dispenser, the Medready, would be the answer. The Medready was purchased and a nursing home placement was avoided, allowing the woman to continue to live in her own home.
We recently heard back from the home health worker regarding the above senior. She reported that woman was still living in her home nearly 10 years later, all because of this $150 locked medication dispenser. With the total cost of nursing home care in North Dakota for one person for the last 10 years at approximately $766,716 (obtained from ND Department of Human Services) and the cost of the device at $150, this is an incredible ROI (return on investment) of approximately $766,566!
With the 2016 average cost of a nursing home in ND at over $94,000/year, a small investment now is money well spent and independence that is priceless!
