Name: Shefali Ugavekar
Guide: Prof. P Kumaresan
Course: Industrial Design
Medicine Organiser for Elderly
The number of elderly in India is rising rapidly along with the need of medication. There is a decrease in capabilities of elderly caused due to ageing & health problems. The project focuses on the Indian scenario of medication system and the environment around elderly to develop a medicine organiser which involves contribution of members of medication system to help elderly take their medications properly and easily. The project started with primary and secondary study, leading to multiple insights in areas of medication system in India, environment at home, people involved in the medication of elderly while using tools and consideration for user research. These insights were then used to derive features and to come up with design specifically for medicine storage and easy dispensing. The final design was developed after series of iterations and activity analysis with the users.
The product is a medicine organiser which is designed keeping the Indian medication system in thought. India is a country where medication system is vast and there are different type of medical centres including private and government hospital, polyclinics, private clinics, ayurvedic-shalas etc. As per research it was found that most of the pharmacy stores are found near the hospitals and clinics. The various major members involved in the medication system are doctors, nurses, pharmacist and patients.
Elderly is a majority of population found in India who are prone to diseases and various health issues and often need to see the doctor and go to hospitals.The problem arises when they themselves have to deal with all their medicines. The organisation of medicines and remembering the schedule is the most difficult task for elderly. To help elderly deal with their medicine, there is a need to design the medicine organiser which will be applicable in Indian context and have practicality to use it.
This product uses a method where the medicines (tablets and capsules) in strip form are kept in strip form as it is considered as the safest storage. The strips are organised by an intermediate (either pharmacist or caretaker) in such a fashion that all sorts of combination of doses can be made with that arrangement. This way of organising is very easy and practical to use by elderly of the age between 60-75yrs. Hence, it serve as an efficient method of organising.