How can I get mom to adhere to her medication?

Medications can have some surprising negative effects so they must be checked regularly by a qualified professional. As people age they become more susceptible to these side effects. So she may feel terrible after taking her meds and for good reason not want them. Some medications are vital but others could possibly be withdrawn or at least prescribed in lower doses. You may find that her body is telling her something very wise.
Good luck!
Carol

Hopalong, oh the pill war, similar to the thermostat wars. It could be that your Mom isn't really being stubborn about taking her meds, it could be she is forgetting or forgetting what day it is if using a pill tray.

My Dad use to use a spread sheet to write down the dates of when he took pills but eventually that spread sheet started to gather dust. Then I tried the pill tray... it worked well for awhile but eventually Dad couldn't remember what day it was, so if he saw an empty slot of Tuesday, and it was Tuesday, and he didn't remember taking the pills, he would think it was Wednesday and would take the pills in that slot... oops, double dosage.

Eventually Dad had caregivers who were good about his morning and afternoon pills. But when Dad went to the main dining room at Assisted Living, he would forget to take his evening pills. Eventually I had to pay into an option where the facility would hold all his meds [no pills in his apartment] and give the pills during the day.

Why do you think she doesn't have any cognitive impairment?

Frankly, unless she's had a complete neuropsych workup that includes several hours of paper and pencil testing that includes assessments of reasoning ability, I would assume that there is some loss of cognition. Yes, she's "sharp as a tack", but she may no longer reason any better than a 5 year old.

Your mom is the owner of her body and it's her choice what to put into her body. No one else owns it nor is the authority on it. Since you say she is thinking clearly, then maybe you want to ask her why. Maybe the pills give her nasty side-effects, or perhaps she feels they are unnecessary. Maybe she would like to hear about alternatives to pharmaceutics. The most common cause of death today is pharmaceutics, especially poly-pharm. Many elderly people are on a cocktail of pills. Maybe your mom found out the truth about the effects of these pills, and has legitimate concerns. Ask!

There is technology called Tele-Medicine that dispenses medication at the time she is to take it and vocally reminds people to take their medications. The machine can also send a text to you or a caregiver when the medicine is not taken from the dispenser tray. Of course if she is really being rebellious and not forgetful she will pick it up from the tray and not take it. I think you need to determine the reason she is not taking it and address the underlying cause. I could speculate further the find the underlying cause of the lack of compliance is the best place to start.

My mom seems to think she knows more than the doctor and takes her meds as she sees fit; not as the doctor prescribes. She had a mini stroke last year, but still denies that as well. Her blood pressure meds are the one thing she seems to take seriously. She buys weird supplements online and every other quack device she can find (tommy copper, joint pills) instead of going to the orthopedist to get a cortisone shot or other treatment. My husband currently is living with her while I clean up things in another state to move where she is as well. For now, he is making sure she eats well, gets some exercise and does not fall and hurt herself. Our stance is that it is her health and as long as she is taking the important pills like BP, we are going to leave well enough alone. I guess bottom line is that it depends on what the pills are for that she is not taking.

Isn't it illegal to give someone any medications without their knowledge/ permission? It opens a whole kettle of worms -- can you prove that you only gave what was ordered? Are you crushing up pills that shouldn't be crushed?

For your own protection (legally) may I suggest that you get a physican's order (in writing) stating that you MAY give medications without the permission/knowledge of the patient.

Is it possible she's having side effects from her medications? This can cause you to reduce dosage. Let's say you take albuterol for asthma. Too much of the nebulizer mind will leave your heart racing within a matter of minutes, leaving you feeling weak and shaky, and you'll have to lay down for a while. This is a side effect of too much albuterol. I speak as an asthmatic and I also take other medications I'm trying to wean off of at least some point. Sometimes long-term use of any medicine can cause permanent damage, and for all we know, the patient may be experiencing negative repercussions from some of those medicines. Definitely have a talk with the patient and get the doctor involved because if the medications are causing damage, they can be readjusted or replaced

Do you live with Mom? I crush my Mom's meds and mix them with vanilla ice cream then cover with chocolate sauce. A sundae before breakfast and one after dinner and no more fights about taking meds.

Often when our seniors aren't taking their medications regularly, it is due to memory issues. Whether it's from dementia is something a doctor would need to determine through testing. As some have mentioned here, it might be helpful to have your mom tested to rule out dementia or some other health issue that is causing her to forget her meds on some days.