My mother is 78 and showing early signs of dementia. She is taking medication that can slow the progression but she isn't taking them on a regular basis. Does anyone have any tips for helping her take them as she should? My mother is quite disorganized and has her pill bottles scattered through out the house. My sister lives nearby but Mom refuses to let her help with the meds. I live an hour away so I can still stop by but not on a daily basis.
I am planning on asking if she would like to have a care giver stop by a few times a week to check on her and see if that helps.
Thanks
Someone needs to jump in here and get this medication issue organized. Your mom may not be taking her medication as prescribed but she could also be taking it and then not remember she took it and take it again. Get those prescription bottles that are scattered throughout the house and get them organized. Familiarize yourself with what your mom takes, why she takes it, and when she's suppose to take it. Since your sister lives close to your mom she might be the person to get this going but don't leave it all up to your sister to deal with, jump in yourself.
If your mom lives alone a caregiver is a good idea however if your mom is supposed to be taking daily medication having a caregiver "stop by a few times a week" isn't going to do any good. And regardless of whether mom likes it or not, that medication needs to be organized. Throw out anything she doesn't take anymore (don't keep it "just in case"). Get a pill box and make sure it's filled every week. Is your mom able to look at the clock and think, "Oh, it's noon. Time for my noon medication."? If not then you might have to figure out a way to ensure your mom is taking her daily medication. Hire someone, look into assisted living, maybe sis can stop by your mom's house everyday....Something needs to get figured out.
Your sister should start by organizing the meds and then after putting them in a pill box for the week take the bottles and stash them away where your mom can't get to them. My dad used to organize his own medication in a pill box. He had no dementia and there was no reason for me to worry about what he was doing. Then I found out that, in order to be able to fill all of his scrips at the same time, he was organizing his pills in HIS order, not according to when he was supposed to take them. After that, I took over his medications. We don't know what our parents are doing until we stick our snouts into their business as uncomfortable and unwanted it may be. And when it comes to dementia we have to protect our parents from themselves because they no longer have the ability to safely take care of themselves. My dad eventually lost his mind due to the disease process of liver failure and he was completely unable to care for himself. I know it hurts to see your mom like that and to realize that your mom, who took care of you your whole life, now needs taking care of herself. Between you and your sister you should be able to do this for your mom. As you know dementia only gets worse so it might be time to have a talk with your sister about what to do when the day comes and your mom can't care for herself at all. Don't wait until that day comes to discuss it. Discuss it NOW. This thing with the medication is just the beginning. And if your mom still has periods of lucidity try to talk to her about what she has in mind for herself.
But you're doing the right thing now. You've recognized a problem and you're taking steps to resolve it. I think your mom is lucky to have you and your sister in her corner.
So good luck, but unless someone comes in to give her her meds at the right time, there's no foolproof method that I've found.
at some point paranoia will set in and youll be trying to poison her. you might need a hospice nurse to play the good cop at this point.
there aint an easy road and if someone sez there is, theyre lying.
I will definitely see about getting her some 7-day pill boxes. Mom frequently forgets what day it is, and thus often misses Dr appointments. What I'm thinking of doing is organizing her pills in 7-day pill boxes and putting a calendar clock right next to where her pill box will stay. That way she can look at the clock and pill box and know whether she has taken her meds that day or not.
I'm rethinking the caregiver stopping by since it doesn't appear they will be able to help much regarding her meds. Mom can still drive and cook and she has maids that stop by a couple of times per month. Maybe down the road a caregiver will be of help but maybe not now. Thanks again!
From your posts I know you have a very clear vision of what needs to be done and get on and do it. No beating about the bush where you are concerned which is a wonderful attribute. So many people get mired down in the stress of caregiving. Not their fault, they basically were put in a position of walking into a nursing home and being told they were in charge. And on top of that the departing staff said "Mr X just s**t his pants and Mrs Y is running down the hall naked and the evening meds are due here are the keys"
Caregiving is not for the faint of heart as you well know and I often refrain from saying what I would or have done in certain situations. I totally admire how you deal with things and would be very glad to have you in my corner.
I had intended to post this on your wall but you don't seem to have one, so here's a hug anyway. I too hate the rat poison but would rather take that than throw a clot.
I was in a similar situation a year ago when my mother in law was diagnosed with Alzheimer. She is on a rather complicated medication schedule and she started to forget what and when to take. I have looked online for some simple solutions. Especially I did not want her to handle any new kind of (electronic) device because at this stage it is impossible for her to start using anything new. I found a really cool service called memo24 where basically the service will call you on your regular phone and play a message that you have previously set up. It has also a cool alert feature where it will alert me by email/sms if my mother in law does not pick up or confirm the reception of the call. I have been using it for the past 5 months now, and I have to say it is giving some kind of relief.
Also a friend of mine has been using it with his father to remind him not only to take medicine but also to remind him about some things and tasks he needs to do (like putting up the trash can outside every Thursday).
Personally I am happy I found this service, and it is only a couple of dollars a month.
Check it out on
Hugs.