Page 18 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, November 1, 2024 OBITUARIES Michael W. O’Keefe It is with great sadness and a heavy heart we announce the passing of Michael W. O'Keefe, on October 23rd, 2024. Michael passed away after a short battle with cancer. Michael was the son of Robert and Lillian O'Keefe of Malden. He was an outstanding track and field athlete, graduating from Malden High in 1973. Michael was a veteran of the United States Army. He spent most of his adult life working and living on Catalina Island, California, with his brother Kevin. He was known for his vibrant avvya yavvy enniiooravvy S ior or vy ion r Dear Savvy Senior, Can you recommend some good pill boxes and medication reminding devices? I’ve recently started taking several new prescription medications along with some vitamins I normally take and need to get a pill box that helps me organize them. What can you tell me? Almost 70 Dear Almost, Pill boxes (a.k.a. pill organizers) play an important role in keeping people healthy because they help you stay on top of your medication regimen. While there are many options, here are a few tips to help you choose, along with some top-rated pill boxes as recommended by expert reviewers. Identify Your Needs? When choosing an appropriate pill box for you, you fi rst need to ask yourself a few questions, such as: • How many pills do you take and how big are they? If you take only a few medications, a smaller pill box may be suffi cient. But if you’re taking multiple medications and large vitamin supplements, you’ll want to get a large compartment pill box that can hold your daily dosage. • Do you take your pills once a day or multiple times a day? If you take medications only once a day, a simple pill box with one compartment will do. But if you need to take medications multiple times a day, you’ll want to get a pill box with either two, three or four compartments for each day of the week. • Do you have problems remembering to take your medications? If so, there are organizers that have built-in alarms and reminding features, or you can download a free medication reminding app on your smartphone. • Do you have a diffi cult time opening your medication containers? If so, there are easyopen pill boxes or automated medication dispensers that are ideal for those with dexterity problems. • Do you need a portable pill box for when you’re away from home? There are smaller portable pill boxes made for traveling, some of which have sealed-shut cases that prevent moisture iori by Jim Miller Best Pill Boxes and Medication Management Tools and dust from entering. Best Pill Boxes With help from The New York Times (Wirecutter) and USA Today (Reviewed), some of the best pill boxes in 2024 are off ered by Auvon and Sukuos which make a variety of single and multiple compartment pill organizers that are big, colorful and easy to open. Their top-rated options include the “Auvon Weekly Pill Organizer” for once-a-day medication users; “Sukuos AM/PM Weekly 7 Day Pill Organizer” for twice a day use; “Auvon iMedassist Moisture-Proof Weekly Pill Organizer” for four times a day; and the “Auvon Moistureproof Monthly Pill Organizer” for those who want to organize their medications monthly. Or, if you’re interested in a travel pill box, the “MUchengbao Travel Pill Organizer” is considered an excellent choice. All of these pill boxes cost around $10 and are available on Amazon.com or Walmart.com. High-Tech Pill Organizers If you need more help keeping up with your medication regimen, there are smart pill boxes that will organize your pills, remind you to take them, track your progress and even text or email caregivers if pills are missed. A popular option to consider here is EllieGrid (elliegrid. com, $149), which connects the pill box to the EllieGrid app (via Bluetooth) that you would install on your smartphone. Or if you need even more help, there are automated medication dispensers like the Hero (herohealth.com, $45 per month), which is a comprehensive, Wi-Fi connected, app-based system that will remind you when to take your pills and dispenses them to you. Medication Reminding Apps If you’re interested in a medication reminding app, some top-rated choices include MyTherapy (mytherapyapp.com) or Medisafe (medisafeapp.com). These are free apps that you can download in the Apple or Google Play app stores that will send you timely notifi cations to take your pills, and reminders to refi ll your prescriptions. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior. org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. personality and his love for the occasional gambling endeavor. Michael leaves his Brothers Robert, Kevin and Joseph, Sister-in-Law Kathleen, Niece Maura, Nephews Daniel and Patrick, Aunt Nini, many cousins and friends. May Michael Rest in Peace. Services will be private. Ronald Mini Jr. Of West Chesterfield, NH. Passed away on October 22, 2024 at home after a brief illness, he was 57. Ron was born in Malden, MA on March 15, CLOCKS | FROM PAGE 3 er months. “Carbon monoxide is a leading cause of poisoning deaths in the United States, and heating equipment is the main source of carbon monoxide in the home,” Chief Kelleher said. “We can’t see, smell, or taste carbon monoxide. Working CO alarms are the only way to detect this invisible killer.” Replacement Alarms Should Have Sealed, Long-Life Batteries and a Hush Feature Replacing your old smoke alarm? Choose alarms that have sealed, long-life batteries and a hush feature. This makes it less likely that someone in the home will use the batteries for another device, forget to change them twice a year, or remove them when cooking causes smoke in the kitchen. “Disabling a smoke alarm puts you, your loved ones, and everyone in the building at risk,” said State Fire Marshal Davine. “Never remove batteries from a smoke alarm except when putting fresh ones in.” Alarms Should Be Listed by an Independent Lab Massachusetts requires that all smoke and carbon monoxide alarms be listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or Intertek (ETL). Listed devices will have the laboratory’s mark on the back. In recent years, fi re offi cials have seen numerous smoke and carbon monoxide alarms that were purchased online and either have counterfeit marks or no mark at all. “Smoke and CO alarms can be the diff erence between life and death, but only if they work 1967 the son of Ronald Mini Sr. and the late Geraldine (Barratt). Ron attended schools in Malden. Ron worked for Kelley Sales and Service in Springfi eld, Vt, Autex of Keene and later retired. Ron was a member of the American Legion Post 37 of Bellows Falls and the Elks. Foster who survives. Ron is also surOBITS | SEE PAGE 19 properly,” said Chief Kelleher. “When you purchase a new alarm, choose one from a wellknown, national brand. We’ve seen many alarms that were purchased online and don’t meet the safety requirements of our State Fire Code. If the price seems too good to be true, then it probably is.” Create & Practice a Home Escape Plan “Changes to building construction and furnishings mean we have less time to escape a fi re at home than ever before,” said State Fire Marshal Davine. “You could have just three minutes to get out safely.” “Working smoke alarms and a practiced home escape plan are among the most fundamental and important tools for surviving a fire,” said Chief Kelleher. “Be sure everyone in the home knows what to do and where to go when the alarm sounds, including young children, older adults, and persons with disabilities.” Senior SAFE Adults over 65 are at disproportionate risk of dying in a fi re, especially if they live in one- or two-family homes. Hundreds of fi re departments across Massachusetts have grant-funded Senior SAFE programs that may provide assistance with alarm installation and testing. Seniors who need help testing, maintaining, or replacing smoke alarms should contact their local fi re department or senior center for assistance. For more information on smoke alarms or the Senior SAFE program, visit www.mass. gov/dfs or contact your local fi re department In 2005 Ron married Diane
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