Missed-dose alerts for caregivers

Once you've paired with a caregiver, DoseAlert can automatically alert them when a dose is running late.

How the alert timing works

For any medication, you can set Alert caregiver after X minutes. Once that deadline has passed, the patient app checks on open or resume. If the dose is unresolved and the phone is online, DoseAlert sends a push alert to every paired caregiver. There is no server-only missed-dose monitor while the patient app remains closed.

Recommended timings:

• Critical meds (insulin, blood thinners, anti-seizure) — 15 to 30 minutes
• Heart/BP meds — 30 to 60 minutes
• Daily vitamins and supplements — usually not worth an alert

What the caregiver sees

The push notification reads something like:

Tapping it opens DoseAlert on the caregiver's phone and shows:

• Which patient missed the dose (based on the pairing name)
• Which medication
• The scheduled time
• An Acknowledge button

When the caregiver acknowledges, your phone gets a short "Caregiver has seen this alert" notification so you know they're in the loop.

One alert per missed dose

Each scheduled dose can trigger one caregiver alert. If you take the medication later, or skip it, no further alert fires for that dose. If the next scheduled dose is also missed, the next alert fires as normal.

Seeing the alert history

On the patient's phone, open Settings > Reminder history. Every alert that was sent to a caregiver appears in the list, labelled Caregiver alert sent. On the caregiver's phone, incoming alerts appear in the same history screen as Caregiver alert received.

Turning alerts off for a specific medication

On any medication, open its detail screen, scroll to Reminders, and clear the Alert caregiver after field. Caregivers will no longer be alerted about that medication, but they remain paired for the others.

Turning alerts off entirely (unpair)

If you want to stop all caregiver alerts, unpair the caregiver on the Family tab. See Caregiver pairing.

When the caregiver is offline

Both phones need internet for caregiver delivery. If push fails and a phone number is available, DoseAlert can open a pre-filled SMS on the patient's phone. The patient must review and tap Send. This is not an automatic background text.

Dealing with false alarms

If you took the medication but forgot to tap Taken in the app, open the Pill Tracker, tap today, find the missed dose in the Scheduled section, and tap Taken. Record the correct time you took it. The caregiver's acknowledgement already happened, so no further action is needed on either side.