Suggestions for Getting Mom to take her Meds

RussAtkins · July 9

It's definitely not an issue of compliance—mom is very agreeable about most things, all things considered. It's much more her forgetting. Just appealing to the group to help brainstorm a solution.

notequipped · July 9

Maybe an automatic medication dispenser - something like the Hero. There are quite a few options out there to choose from. Have you tried setting alarms or reminders?

harshedbuzz · July 9

IME, there is no tech that replaces human supervision.

If she lives with someone, they could create a morning/evening ritual of them taking their meds together.

If you feel she's still safe to live alone, you could do this together via a Face Time or Facebook video visit. Visual confirmation is needed to be certain the meds were taken and not set down, tossed out or fed to the dog. The other option is hiring an aide to come to the house to manage medication; this gets $$$ fast.

HB

H1235 · July 9

Keep in mind it’s not just about remembering to take them, it’s also about remembering they were taken. Days of the week can be easily confused. Even in a pill dispenser it’s possible medication may be accidentally taken a second time. Even if she is somehow reminded to take the medication will it all be taken or will pills slip from her had and fall on the floor unnoticed. If you are questioning her ability to remember to take medication, it’s probably time to consider additional care in my opinion.

JulietteBee · July 11

I am sorry, but I do not believe there is any medication dispenser or suggestion that can ever replace human supervision on a daily basis.

I have tried setting up Alexa reminders, calling my pwd reminders, utilizing a camera, setting out the pills, weekly, etc.

My pwd now lives with me and the SOLE reason was med management, as I started to see the proverbial writing on the wall.

Some days, mom was not taking her meds, some being as important as blood thinners which MUST be consistently taken every 12 hours.

Other days she was overdosing on her meds. With them in the Sun-Sat organizer, she forgets what day it is or thinks more time has elapsed than it has. So, she would take Sun a.m. meds correctly. Hours later, she would take Sun p.m. meds. By nightime, forgetting that a day has not passed, but recognizing night fall, she would take Monday p.m. meds.

Another time, she tried reorganizing the pills I had left out. She ended up confusing herself and had 7 heart pills to be taken the next morning and 2 the next night. Had I not gone over that day, mom would have cardiac arrested the next morning as a result of her own diseased brain.

Is it perhaps time for mom to get daily, inhome, med management done by the professionals? With your mom having any form of memory impairment, it is a matter of time. It is no longer IF she will need help. It is a matter of when she will. Your post indicates that the time is now. 🙏🏽

ARIL · July 11

This is a major problem that we did not resolve until the responsibility for administering meds was taken over by an adult without dementia (in our case, AL staff).

My dad was highly motivated to do it right but simply became incapable of it. I found lists and reminders he made for himself well before his decline was obvious to others.

Later, he was too trusting of people around him. His spouse, also with dementia but severe anosognosia, was changing out his meds dispenser that capable others were filling correctly. Think double or triple meds, meds prescribed for other people, skipping days, etc. The spouse would also insist it was time for his meds—on a random schedule. (I witnessed this, and my intervention was not welcomed.) It is a miracle neither of them died during that time.

I agree with others that direct human supervision by a responsible adult without dementia is the only real answer here. There are things you can try—timed dispensers, video calls—but it’s all short-term solutions. Very short term.

I wish you well. I know this is very hard.

terei · July 13

Before we had to have someone physically give meds to my mom, I had a camera focused on her med box and would call her on the phone twice a day and walk her through it while I watched the camera on my iPad. Like, ‘ok mom, open the pink number 9. ‘ That worked for about 5 months til she just couldn’t follow instructions anymore. Then, I had my daughter who lived near her MC stop twice a day and do it personally. I really did not like paying the facility extra to give meds. I gave my daughter the equivalent $ for her trouble. Then, when she was taking fewer meds, I paid the facility extra for it. Ultimately, she fought taking meds at all and I told them to offer the meds and if she refused, to stop. I caused her too much aggravation and it wasn’t worth agitating her twice a day. It’s a process.

Suggestions for Getting Mom to take her Meds

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