What do I do when my husband with Alzheimer's doesn't want the medication?

At my Mom's nursing home, they had the pill crusher and put them in applesauce. Worked every time! We used to tell my Mom it was aspirin so she wouldn't have any pain, that helped sometimes. Also, some Alzheimer's meds can be with a patch.

Whenever my dad refuses, my mom will just wait a little while, then try again. He has usually forgotten that he was refusing to take them by then. Sometimes, I will comment on how big the pills are (or how many there are) and act impressed that he can swallow them. Then, like a small child would, he will quickly take them just to show that he can swallow them. ;)

We checked with my mom's dr and was advised we could use a pill grinder and mash up the pills and mix with yogurt applesauce or some other food that she would eat, wallla no more med problems

Well, Truffles what can I say but that I think you'll have better results spreading that 1950s sci-fi manure on the flower garden than here. You are out of your depth, saying such ridiculous things to those of us who work and live in the world of dementia patients.

Scientology isn't exactly known for it's compassionate treatment of the elderly or infirm. Quite the opposite. Offloading (sudden abandonment) of the sick & elderly is common. Funny how you never hear of any CoF nursing homes & memory care centers!

Nobody electrocutes the elderly. Electrocution is nowhere in the standards of care for dementia. ECT is not even a recognized medical practice by the FDA. That practice died out ages ago unless you go to some private quack doctor.

I won't waste my time explaining how medication studies work, causation and correllation not being the same thing, and what potential side effects means. Potential means it's not certain.

Here's a news flash - people with dementia die all the time anyway. You can't stop that. It is utterly inhumane to withhold any means for comfort and respite for these folks during their days on this earth.

Try again in an hour or so. Unless his pills are critical, if he misses doses now and then, it's probably no big deal.

I used to just put the pill on a plastic baggie and take a hammer and smash it.

It helped with two problems: Got the pill into her and two, the smashing of the pill helped with my stress levels :)

Seriously, just crush the pill and put it in her food. She won't even know because I'm betting her taste is also gone.

My mom has dementia and ALS. We have a 'care package' of liquid medications to administer as needed. She also has a few medications in lotion form (halperidol, diazepam, & lorazepam.) Plus, she has a pain patch (change every 3 days) and Exelon patch changed daily. The high blood pressure pill and glipizide are only in pill form. I just leave on the table next to her plate of food for her to take. I never even announce there next to her plate of food. When I come back, mostly the little cup is empty & all pills are gone. Btw, I've tried to scare her into taking them and it doesn't work. She just digs her heels in more.

Well Truffles I am going to go out on a limb and face the wrath of other members of this forum.
Why are you here? Who are you caring for?
What is your background in the care of the mentally ill?
How much do you actually know about psychotrophic drugs.
Why are you promoting a not for profit arm of the Church of Scientology? I did look that up.
I will report your post so you know who did it.
If you really think anyone here is stupid enough to fill in that form about our mental illness,treatment and side effects of our medications you are sadly mistaken. Once they have our names and addresses no doubt the requests for money will follow.
Doctors are perfectly free to invest their money anywhere they hope to make a profit just like you and me. Don't forget they have to provide for their families when they treat such things as Ebola.
Now think about this which would you rather see. your grandmother running down the hallways of a nursing home stark naked pooping as she goes screaming at the top of her lungs lashing out at anyone she comes into contact with or dozing in her chair fully clothed in her own clothes suitably sedated.
Not a hard question to answer is it.

Of course there is abuse of the elderly (and the young and middle aged) and at times it does involve the use of unsuitable medications

I am happy to tell you I am already old.
Our mental health system is failing everyone.
Perhaps you would like to work in an institution for the elderly where no drugs were permitted.
When your shift ended hopefully there would be a shower provided to get off all the s**t that had been thrown over you, your socks soaked in urine,food rubbed into your hair. No hazmat suits provided! Maybe there would be a dr on staff to suture the cuts and x-ray any broken bones. Maybe some ice for that big bruise on your head wher your head was banged on the bath taps. Thank goodness for Workmens Comp at least that would cover your medical expenses till you could find a different job. Oh and I forgot to mention the foul language and sexual harasement. demented old men just love the chance to "Feel up" a young or even not so young caretaker. You can't hit them, that is elder abuse. This is real life Truffles

Many people do feel very strongly about a general trend in overusing prescription drugs in the American culture. Then dealing with an elder with advanced dementia is like nothing you could imagine without experiencing it. I have friends who tell me, 'oh, yes, my mother is very difficult too' and I just have to remind myself that they have no idea how the level of difficulty is escalated by dementia. We went through the whole daily pill box routine, even the electronic one, (that hit the wall really fast) then distributing the pills, with the endless demands of returning her medicines, when she would dump all on the counter and start an endless counting game, etc. She wants her medicines, just can't manage things anymore. I think she always had delusions, but now the hallucinations have started. She insists on searching the house for the little boy even though she cannot manage the stairs. The mania she experiences is dangerous. Turns out she is not taking her pills routinely, some days yes, other days no. Intermittent use is probably the worst choice. I don't think apple sauce would work for her, she is very wary. So I empathize with this problem.