Learn more about Pria, a medication dispenser that does more than pop out pills.
How did Pria get started?
Pria began as an idea to help ease the stresses of being a caregiver. We saw that more and more seniors were choosing to age in place (rather than move to a senior living community), so the team examined the market to see what products already existed. We found that there were a number of medication dispensers already on the market. But what the market was missing? A device that could do more than just dispense medication at the proper time, or remind users to take it.
At that point, BLACK+DECKER partnered with Pillo Health to commercialize Pria and bring it to market. Pria is powered by Pillo Health’s software, which was previously used only for devices in hospitals, nursing homes and other medical spaces. Pria, however, is available to consumers, and was designed for seniors who choose to age in place and the unpaid caregivers who care for them.
The potential for technology to help aid with healthcare and caregiving is massive, and our team is happy to be playing a leading role in it and grow our product line much farther than the original Pria device that we are talking about today.
What is Pria’s goal & vision?
Recent surveys from AARP show that aging Americans wish to live independently at home as opposed to a senior community or assisted living facility.
Pria’s vision is clear, and exists to ease the burden on caregivers by helping bridge communications and ensuring that their aging loved ones are happy, safe and healthy at home.
As stated above, Pria is working to expand its collection into a suite of products that can help to make the lives of those aging in place easier, happier and safer, while also enabling for better communication with their caregivers.
One of the most significant benefits of Pria is alleviating the common anxieties that can permeate the everyday life of a caregiver by keeping families connected in a simple and friendly way.
Why is Pria a solution for many older adults who live at home?
Pria helps give caregivers peace of mind. They can go right into the app and see if their loved one’s medication has been taken, and will be notified if a dose is missed. It helps individuals stay connected to their loved ones and their medication routines.
But Pria does so much more than dispense medication. Besides being able to tell jokes (!), it has features like:
- drop-in video calls,
- two-way video calling,
- daily reminders,
- check-in questions, and
- weather notices.
Reminders can be set through Pria for daily tasks like watering plants or social activities like calling a friend. Caregivers can program simple check-in questions about things like spending time outdoors, eating meals, or drinking water (especially important during these hot summer months). They can also monitor their loved one’s well-being through the Pria companion app.
What makes Pria stand out among similar products?
Unlike its competitors, Pria is much more than a medication dispenser. As we alluded to in the above question, Pria is also a home healthcare assistant. Its HIPAA-compliant platform offers a wealth of features such as check-ins, two-way video calling, drop-in video calls, daily reminders and a companion app that helps keep ‘medicine cabinets’ organized and gives caregivers insight into their loved one’s well-being.
Additionally, Pria is constantly updating and adding new features. Most recently, Pria was updated with a COVID-19 Symptom Checker to help high-risk individuals by talking through their symptoms, and identifying whether they should seek next steps or get tested.
We are constantly updating Pria’s software and app to ensure that we are addressing as many pain points as possible for seniors and caregivers to make their lives easier.
Our email subscribers also receive monthly email blasts on the Pria’s new features within each update.
What are the greatest benefits of and challenges to using Pria?
Pria’s greatest benefit is that it serves both aging seniors and their caregivers. Seniors have an in-home healthcare device that keeps their health and wellness on track, and their caregivers have a direct line of sight into their loved one’s medication adherence and general well-being.
In terms of challenges, we knew we would get questions about privacy. The platform itself is completely HIPAA-compliant, so users’ personal information is safe and never shared.
Pria was recently updated with a COVID-19 Symptom Checker to help high-risk individuals identify whether they should get tested.
Additionally, we knew we’d have to combat the notion that Pria is always listening. In reality, Pria’s microphone is only activated by the “Ok, Pria …” command, and the camera is only activated during a drop-in or two-way video call—or when Pria is searching for facial recognition.
We also knew some customers might be concerned about using advanced technology, which is why we made Pria extremely user-friendly and simple to navigate with voice commands and a touch screen. We also populated our YouTube channel with set-up guides and How-To videos to assist with everything from loading pills to scheduling reminders.
Meet Latia, our newest team member
