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We sat down & explained that she needs to leave it in the kitchen so she can take it with my Uncle at the same time to know that she took it. She keeps taking it to her room. We had put the bottles up so she couldn't hide them again. But she found them and is refilling the medications daily so we cannot tell if she is taking them or not. She get REALLY defensive when we ask her about it. but she is so much better when she takes her medications. We don't know the best way to do this without jsut taking the extra meds from the house so she can't get to it. But then she will drive my Aunt and Uncle crazy looking for them. Any advice welcome!

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Do you live with her? Clearly, it sounds like she needs a caregiver to administer her medications... Does she have dementia? How old is she?
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I was wondering if she had dementia as well.

Can you put all of her medications for a week in a pill box and keep that in the kitchen? That way someone can keep track of whether she's had her medication or not. Then just hide the original bottles really, really well.

But I'm not sure it can go both ways. Either the pills are sitting out and your mom will take them to her room and no one will know what she's taking and when, which is a huge problem as you said. Or, hide the pills and then your mom will drive your aunt and uncle crazy looking for them. I think your aunt and uncle need to pick the lesser of two evils. But if your mom is taking off with her meds and taking them willy nilly that needs to be stopped as it can be dangerous. The administration of your mom's meds definitely needs to be controlled.
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Her brother and his wife lives with her. I go 3 days a week as well as my youngest sis goes three times a week. She will be 70 tomorrow and yes she has Alzheimer's.
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She needs someone to give her meds. Perhaps you could give her placebos so she thinks she has meds in her room.
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My mom was recently called and then they called me. She was also over medicated with tranquilizers to aid sleep. Then she began taking the night meds in the AM and not even taking the evening pills. After trying an AM. PM. box, which she repeatedly took wrong, I got another box, wrote NIGHT in large letters and placed in a cabinet over her sink, then I call her morning and night to tell her to take them. Had trouble getting her to pick up the phone today so it was after 1 PM when she took the morning pills. Talked to her at 8 PM tonight and suggested she lay them out on the counter to take later before bed. Had to repeat over and over "the last box on the holder that says S for Saturday."
Finally got her to lay the phone down and go do it, then she didn't come back to the phone. ( may still be off the hook.). Mom is in a senior living home, 15 min away. I go there 4 or 5 days a week. Was there 'till 9:00 last night so wasn't going again today. HAD to go last night since she had (again). Taken her night meds yesterday morning and could barely walk and talk. The retirement home isn't allowed to give them meds but has told her for me to take her meds.
She is 87, must have dementia, was widowed in Feb. 2013, lost 1/2 her income, had to sell her home and go into the retirement home, can't afford assisted living.
All this since Feb. I'm amazed she isn't in the psych ward. She has been imagining that my dad is in the bathroom and calls for him and gets up to look and has fallen off her bed a couple times. I don't see bruises or bumps anywhere so I think she is repeating the MEMORY of falling. Trying to get the sleep meds out of her system, so she can walk around and go for meals. I brought her medicine that is wrong home with me. I suggest you fill your moms pill box and take the bottles home with you, that way your uncle can say " your daughter has them, she will come and bring them when your box needs refilling". Is that an option?
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Didn't proof read above, hope you knew I meant didn't take her morning pills at night when she took the night ones in the morning.
Also, her morning meds are on the microwave down on the counter.
And my dad died in 1988, it was her last husband of 17 years that died in Feb.
So I'm concerned that she is dreaming that dad is in the bathroom. This is something new.
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We have the same problem with pops. We just keep removing the meds from his bathroom where he takes them to and putting them back on the microwave every time. We fill a weeks worth of pills in a container that holds am and pm pills each day of the week. We stow away the balance of his pills. He may not like it but its what is best and safest for him. Mis-taking of meds has all sorts of consequences on the elder. If your aunt and uncle can practice "detaching with love" and let throw her tantrums and search around and not take it personal she will probably shift her focus onto something else in time. My FIL gets on a jag with something then forgets about it and becomes obsessed with something else. Just part of caregiving. Pills, bowels, weight, his laundry....we have a variety of obsessions in his cycles of obsessions! Keep them safe and go with the flow as best as possible. Take a break when it gets too much. Pray. This too shall pass.
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If someone hasn't thought of it, maybe they should ... a coded/locked until time-released pill box. I'm not an engineer, but if they can put timers on a sprinkler system, you'd think .. huh?

well .. heh. I bopped over to google and guess what I found:

epill... it's $800, so probably out of price range for most of us. Maybe they'll come up on Amazon, at some point.
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They do have a programable med. machine thats loaded and locked I have seen one , it was the size of a coffee maker and it had an alarm on it to draw attention when it was going to release the meds. If you cannot get one the alternatve would be to fill a med. box each week and give it to your uncle so that she gets her meds. at the same time every day; then write out her med. schedule and a few copies and tape them in places where she will frequently see them. With those reminders place a seprate note stating that her doctor has the extras and will send her meds. every week. You can also get a cheap desk calendar and put it on the kitchen table and have her write down that she took her meds every time she does so if the issue is shes scared she forgot to take her meds; your aunt and uncle can show her that she did take them its in her own writing. I know lying isn't right but I have worked with countless people who suffered from Alzheimers and sometimes to keep your sanity and to keep them from hurting themselfs you have to lie and then try to redirect them. God bless your family I know alzheimers can burn out the caregivers quickly.
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