MIL wants to try new vitamins/medicines all the time. What can I do?

All of that crap on tv makes me nuts. They target elderly people which is why those commercials and ads are on tv in the middle of the day.

Would she be satisfied with vitamins from the store? Or go to GNC and buy her some vitamins in packaging she doesn't recognize and tell her "it the latest thing". Coconut oil is very fashionable now, get some of that and make a big production out of it and then dribble it on her ice cream.

Or you could tell her that in buying these things off of tv she is paying for the packaging and the shipping but the actual product is simple to make at home. Then make her a shake of some kind (wheat grass might change her mind about these products).

What is her motivation for wanting all of that stuff? Does she believe that they will reverse the effects of the stroke? That she'll "FEEL 10 YEARS YOUNGER!!!" ? I have to think there's some dementia going on because you said when you tell her she can't buy all of that stuff she sees on tv she cries like a child. That's not a reasonable reaction to being told "no". Maybe if you get her to tell you why she wants those products you can figure out a way to get around this from now on.

Would you let a five-year old cry and carry on to get her way? Probably not. It's important to draw sensible boundaries with children and old people. If she throws a tantrum, tell her you don't give in to tantrums any more than she gave in to them when you were five.

Poor her and poor you - it does sound like she is having a bit of dementia. My husband with dementia and movement disorder does the same thing, the television is unfortunately his recreation and the daytime shows are the pits. I cannot reason with him as he just does get it so I just tell him that I will get him whatever he thinks is the magic pill - lotion - drink etc - of course I don't order the crap from the advertisement but substitute something that I can buy cheap locally.
He once wanted a juicer so bad that it was all he asked me about - so I just bought a green smoothie at the grocery store - told him it was "sample" and he hated it, so the juicer idea went away.

He resents it if I just tell him no - and to try to reason does not work, so I just try to go with the flow - whatever he sees that he wants, I just tell him - great idea we will try it and substitute something that I can usually find at the dollar store.
Currently he is feeling so much better because of the magic lotion I am putting on him for his arthritis - it is just some dollar store hand cream.

If she's really into her TV, go the expense of a 'smart' TV, pay for a few of the online services like Netflix (where you can get just about any of your favorite TV shows and thousands of movies for under $10 a month) ... all you need then is internet, and can utterly avoid cable or commercial television.

If she tends to not remember that she's/you've ordered something, you could always fake it. Get out the order form, write the check and mail it back to yourself (or toss it, lol). Invoke the 'kind lie' and remind her, if she asks that shipping can take up to 8 weeks. Bet she's utterly forgotten about it by then.

my father also like to buy things but his is from a book of wellness pills. I am not saying they are all a ripoff but they do get you. Buy 4 get 3 free. yeah, well in the past year I have thrown away about 30 bottles of stuff that was expired for 3 or more years because he would buy (my mother not knowing) and then put them in spare room (and he forgets they are there). Problem solved for the magazine type, mother now gets mail (or me) and throw those books away before he sees them. Can't do much for the tv unless you can block that channel.

Some herbs, vitamins, and supplements CAN be helpful... some can be harmful, and there are potential drug interactions. If she insists, please take her to someone skilled in holistic treatments. DO NOT BELIEVE TV ADS!! Even the helpful advice on Dr. Oz about herbs should come with some contra-indications, but rarely does. For example, ginkgo can be great for memory, but it adds to the effect of a blood thinner. Licorice root can be useful, but not if you have high blood pressure, it will raise it. Someone trained in alternative medicine can look at your mom's total health picture and make appropriate suggestions.

Thank you for all the good information. My MIL is 69 years old. I've printed out the bad reviews/scams for the items that she wants and give them to her, and it does not seem to faze her. She still wants it and thinks she needs it, whatever it is. I've even tried to appease her with knock off brands of some of these things, but she is very brand oriented, so I don't bother trying to find a cheaper version of something. She does take a multi vitaman everyday. I'll take all of your input into consideration. Thank you.

I forgot to mention that while I was busy mopping the other day, my MIL was hollering for me to come and see something on TV. It was a "super mop" system that she wanted to get for me! Boy am I lucky or what! So, as I was hot mopping her bedroom and bathroom, she had a disgusted look on her face due to the "inadequate" mop I was using. Ha!Ha!

Get her involved in an adult day care, or have someone come over and play board games with her, scrabble. Go to the library, and get her large print books to read, and then return them. Books on tape. Other things to do but tv. If she is concerned about health, Try GNC, TRADER JOES, The 99 cent store may have health things that are about ready to expire...but are still good. Your local health store. Make an adventure one day, and take her out. Yeah, easier said than done. I know...Go to library and find a health book, and have her read it, and then talk about it. Maybe getting it the natural way, veggies, would be ok too.

I suppose you could just say no if you are paying for these items yourself. But if they are being bought with Mom's money, you really don't have the right to forbid it...and I can't imagine the atmosphere in your house if you treat your mom like a 5 year old! You could try this - when Mom wants some new product, tell her you'll look it up online to see if it's "really as good as they say it is"...this gives you time you can drag out in the hopes she will forget the item, or a new item will supersede the old one. You can "find" discouraging reports on an item online and perhaps dissuade her that way. With declining memory/attention span, the least aggressive/stess causing method is to drag out the process until it is forgotten.