Regarding medications: my first answer is that the only thing that works is what works. I'm not being flippant. But what I'm going to say ONLY works for someone who is NOT really too far into a stage in dementia for this to make sense. I have to take about five-6 pills a day and several at different times. When I had a bad accident, a short time ago, I was up to 10 pills a day, again, at specific time intervals. (A real pain....) I had to devise a series of ways to cope with trying to take the right pills and at the right time. I used pill cases (per week), sticky notes on kitchen cabinets, etc. At a certain point, an RN had to see me and I thought: "Aha! She'll have an answer for me to more easily manage all the pills." She didn't. She just said to me: "Whatever works."
Since this time, I've had discussions with other seniors, and they also try to figure out the "best" way to manage pill taking. If asked, I always say "Well, this is what I do -- but it may not be the best way for YOU. You have to figure out what works for you, where to put the pill cases, weekly or monthly, alarm bells, etc. Whatever works.
Again, if you've tried everything for a loved one, or someone you're in charge of helping, then more drastic steps (a different living situation) may be in order. And you may know this, but "medication management" is, I'm pretty sure, a certificate program in some community colleges. Might be interesting to see the curricula.
talk to dr to see if you can get the schedule down to once per day. then you can get someone to stop in once per day to supervise taking the meds. There are also some electronic pill dispensing machines that will only open when the time comes. That, plus an alexa reminder, might work but it's not a perfect solution. This is usually the signal that you need to look at bringing in help or moving to assisted living. We've all been in this situation and I don't think anyone has found the perfect solution.
I make my loved one write it on a calendar AFTER he takes the pills. Living with him makes it easier to supervise. If possible, perhaps you can get a volunteer from a local senior center to drop by for a chat to make sure she takes her pills. She may be forgetting a great deal more and need more help than this.
A responder who worked with people in care said on a particular day she noticed how well dressed and seemingly well and capable so many of her clients were she asked why they had chosen to enter care, and for many it was a matter of needing medication, and no longer managing them.
Another responder said that if anyone is techie enough to help with set up, and the person involved is not in late stages of dementia, that alexis reminders to take medications can help.
I wish I had answers to this one as it is a common problem. I hope you get some good things to try.
Agreeing with Geaton777. One thing that MIGHT help is how her pills are set.
Does she have to handle many bottles of pills--which can be incredibly daunting plus she--and you--won't be able to verify whether she's taken them. Or worse, my mom kept forgetting she had taken them and then she KEPT taking them.
At least in her earlier stages of dementia, a large pill dispenser for a week, with sections for the morning, late morning, noon, afternoon, and evening worked for her. It was easy to see if she had taken them.
In the later stages, one of us moved in with her to administer them.
Obviously your mom should no longer be living by herself. She can't help that she's not remembering to take her medications as her brain is now broken and will never get any better only worse. So it's time to either hire lots of in-home help(with moms money of course)or place her in the appropriate facility where they will bring her medications at the appropriate times and make sure she takes them. If these medications are vitally necessary, those are your only choices really, unless you want her to move in with you, and you can make sure she takes them. But I'm not sure that is a good idea, because as I said your mom will only continue to get worse and more than likely be more than you can handle.
Someone has to administer them to her. I had the same issue with my MIL (who was 80 at the time, and living by herself after her husband was taken into LTC for Parkinson's by the state guardian. We lived 6 miles from her. When I stopped in to count her pills, she'd tell me she had taken them but there they were still sitting on the kitchen table with the glass of water next to them.
Because I was busy will a FT job, 3 kids and an elderly Mom of my own, I theen tried to call MIL every morning and give her step-by-step instructiions for taking her pills. She'd confirm she'd taken them. But when I stopped by to check: nope. She sincerely believed she had taken them but due to short-term memory impairment she'd quickly lose focus of the goal. She took thyroid pills and also Zoloft. She also forgot how to use her microwave. So, we transitioned her to AL.
I'm all about problem-solving but couldn't come up with a solution in this situation. It may be time for either AL or an in-home aid who is qualified to dispense meds (which is a higher hourly rate than just a companion).
Since this time, I've had discussions with other seniors, and they also try to figure out the "best" way to manage pill taking. If asked, I always say "Well, this is what I do -- but it may not be the best way for YOU. You have to figure out what works for you, where to put the pill cases, weekly or monthly, alarm bells, etc. Whatever works.
Again, if you've tried everything for a loved one, or someone you're in charge of helping, then more drastic steps (a different living situation) may be in order. And you may know this, but "medication management" is, I'm pretty sure, a certificate program in some community colleges. Might be interesting to see the curricula.
A responder who worked with people in care said on a particular day she noticed how well dressed and seemingly well and capable so many of her clients were she asked why they had chosen to enter care, and for many it was a matter of needing medication, and no longer managing them.
Another responder said that if anyone is techie enough to help with set up, and the person involved is not in late stages of dementia, that alexis reminders to take medications can help.
I wish I had answers to this one as it is a common problem. I hope you get some good things to try.
Does she have to handle many bottles of pills--which can be incredibly daunting plus she--and you--won't be able to verify whether she's taken them. Or worse, my mom kept forgetting she had taken them and then she KEPT taking them.
At least in her earlier stages of dementia, a large pill dispenser for a week, with sections for the morning, late morning, noon, afternoon, and evening worked for her. It was easy to see if she had taken them.
In the later stages, one of us moved in with her to administer them.
If these medications are vitally necessary, those are your only choices really, unless you want her to move in with you, and you can make sure she takes them. But I'm not sure that is a good idea, because as I said your mom will only continue to get worse and more than likely be more than you can handle.
Because I was busy will a FT job, 3 kids and an elderly Mom of my own, I theen tried to call MIL every morning and give her step-by-step instructiions for taking her pills. She'd confirm she'd taken them. But when I stopped by to check: nope. She sincerely believed she had taken them but due to short-term memory impairment she'd quickly lose focus of the goal. She took thyroid pills and also Zoloft. She also forgot how to use her microwave. So, we transitioned her to AL.
I'm all about problem-solving but couldn't come up with a solution in this situation. It may be time for either AL or an in-home aid who is qualified to dispense meds (which is a higher hourly rate than just a companion).