Why does my spouse refuse her medication particularly in the mornings?

FreqFlyer makes a lot of sense. Stomach issues could be the problem.

Another thing to consider is that since she'll accept the meds from a med. tech who is familiar to her, she may not trust strangers. If she has dementia, this distrust could turn to paranoia. This could mean that she feels a stranger could make a mistake or even try to poison her.

This isn't a solution to your problem but it may help you understand it better. Talk with the facility about ways around this considering both the stomach issue and the trust issue. Maybe together you can come up with a routine that works better.

We'd love to hear if you find a way to make this work (or don't).
Take care,
Carol

Taking meds with cold water can also be an issue, especially in the morning when the stomach is less full.

Crush the med up in milk or coffee or whatever she likes to drink and then give it to her. You might also tell her she doesn't have to take medication if she doesn't want to, and give her back some of the power she has lost. Usually works!

just a note: i suggested crushing meds also...and putting them in food, BUT, not all medicine could be crushed because some are time released. check with your pharmacist!

Mine is a simple solution. I am 88 years old and do not take any prescription drugs; however, I do take a tiny aspirin and a vitamin capsule and I find it hard to swallow them in the morning so maybe waiting an hour or two before bringing your mom her meds might make a difference.

It could be your spouse finds the medicine more tolerable on a full stomach by the end of the day.

I know for myself, I can't take vit D or vit B-12 in the morning as it upsets my stomach, even if I take the pill right after breakfast. But in the afternoons or later in the evening I have no problem.

Would she take the meds if YOU handed them to her?

We some times forget Our Elders find it difficult to swallow the tablets, since some med's are quiet big....Ferris1 is right CRUSH THE MEDS AND GIVE THEM TO
HER WITH HER DRINK.
I did this for My Mother, after I checked with Our Pharmasist, Who said it would be perfectly OK, since I know that some med's are slow releasing.

He mentioned "med tech" so I'm assuming she is in a facility. If so, she has no control over her medication. It's between the facility and her doctor. I just had a meeting about the same thing. Mom refusing her pills. TG most of them are OCT. The facility can not make her take them but they do have to show they did everything they could to get her to. You need to have a care conference to talk about your concerns.

Look at the medicines she is refusing -- are they HUGE? or the effects. My mom has one pill that is BIG and she hates taking it -- found out that it can be in a smaller dose, but will require more pills. Discuss with the doctor and the pharmacist to see if there is a better way to dispense or change her medications.