Medication reminders at home
Prompt, reliable reminders from a caregiver who knows your parent's routine, so the day stays on track. With this service, your caregiver reminds and prompts. They don't give medication, and this isn't nursing care.
Phones answered 24/7. A coordinator calls back within the hour, day or night.
What medication reminders include
This is a prompt, not nursing. Your caregiver reminds, and your parent takes their own medication. Questions about the medicines themselves go to their doctor or pharmacist.
- A prompt at the right time. During each visit, your caregiver reminds your parent at the medication times set out in their care plan.
- Part of the daily routine. Reminders fit around breakfast, lunch or getting ready for bed, so the day stays on track.
- The same routine every visit. The routine and your parent's preferences are kept on file, so a backup caregiver works from the same plan.
- A caregiver your parent understands. We match by personality, language, schedule and need, so the reminder comes from someone your parent is comfortable with. Our caregivers speak Tagalog, Punjabi, Hindi, Spanish, Arabic, French and more.
- Alongside other care. Every visit is at least 2 hours, so a reminder usually sits inside a longer visit. The rest of the visit can go to personal care or companion care, like meal prep, errands or company.
Who it helps
Medication reminders suit a parent who manages their own pills but sometimes loses track. Maybe you've found yesterday's dose still in the pill organizer. Maybe you call every morning to check, and you can't always be there.
They also help when memory is starting to change, because a calm, familiar routine makes the reminder part of the day. For bigger memory changes, see dementia and memory care.
Coming home after a hospital stay? Reminders can be paired with personal care while a new routine settles in. And if you're the one who does all the reminding, a regular visit gives you a break. See respite and overnight care.
If your parent can't take their own medication even with a reminder, this isn't the right service on its own. Talk to their doctor, pharmacist or home care case manager about more help.
What a visit looks like
Reminders happen in person, during a visit, so we plan visit times around the times that matter most.
Tell us the routine
Call 587.443.1888 and tell us which times of day matter and how your parent likes to be reminded. We keep it on file with your parent's care plan and preferences.
A coordinator confirms every visit
The same coordinator knows your parent, the caregiver and your family, and confirms every visit. Each morning, our system checks the coming schedule for problems, like a visit with no caregiver. The office fixes them before the visit, not after.
The visit
Your caregiver gives the reminder at the planned time. The rest of the visit goes to the other care in the plan, like personal care, meal prep or company.
A backup works from the same plan
If the regular caregiver is away, the backup follows the same plan and preferences on file, rather than starting from scratch.
If your parent goes into hospital
Visits are paused and the office sets itself a reminder to check in with you, so care can restart smoothly when they come home. On CDHCI, the case manager confirms CDHCI again before visits restart.
How it's paid for
Care can be arranged through Client Directed Home Care Invoicing (CDHCI), private pay, or both.
CDHCI is a home care option in Alberta where you choose the provider. A home care case manager with Assisted Living Alberta (formerly AHS home care) assesses your parent and approves the hours. Alberta Blue Cross pays the provider for those approved hours. Not assessed yet? Families can ask for an assessment themselves. Our CDHCI guide explains the steps.
On CDHCI, only care in the approved care plan is covered, and each type of care has its own approved hours. A reminder is covered only if it's part of that plan. Homemaking counts only if it's in the plan, and only alongside personal care or respite, never on its own.
Your parent's case manager decides what is approved. You and your parent talk to them and make every decision. We can explain beforehand what to ask.
Your parent must be home for the visit. We record the time for each type of care, as the program requires. #1 Right Care is registered to invoice Alberta Blue Cross for approved CDHCI hours. We bill them directly for the approved hours we deliver, so you aren't invoiced for those hours. You get a copy of every claim statement. CDHCI doesn't cover care while your parent is in hospital. The case manager confirms CDHCI again before visits restart.
If reminders aren't in the approved plan, or your parent isn't on CDHCI, they can be arranged as private care. Private care can stand on its own or sit on top of CDHCI hours, and we invoice you for private hours. You get a written quote before any care starts. There's no extra charge for evenings, weekends or holidays.
Every visit is at least 2 hours, on CDHCI and private pay. On CDHCI, only approved hours are covered, and the program doesn't add hours to meet our minimum. If the care plan has shorter visits, we'll work out the schedule with you and put any cost in writing before care starts. See home care costs for how visits and scheduling work.
Where we provide it
Outside these areas? Call us — we may still be able to help.
Calgary
All quadrants of Calgary and the surrounding area.
Edmonton
Edmonton's inner city and suburbs.
Red Deer
Red Deer and central Alberta.
Lethbridge
Lethbridge and southern Alberta.
Common questions
Will the caregiver give my mom her medication?
Can a visit be just for a reminder?
Are medication reminders covered by CDHCI?
My dad takes pills morning and night. How does that work?
What if the caregiver isn't the right fit?
Talk to us about your parent's routine
Call 587.443.1888 any time. Phones are answered 24/7, and a coordinator calls you back within the hour, day or night. Or use the request form.