So today I told my mom that she forgot her medicine the last 3-4 nights and she said that my sister filled up those days and that it makes it confusing when we fill it up (I guess more than once a week). I fill up her weekly AM/PM medicine so she doesn't have to get into the bottles. I called my sister and of course she hasn't touched the medicine. I am the only one who messes with her medicine. My sister said she was at our mom's house to give her insulin last night and said, Mom you need to take your PM pills...want me to bring them to you? She said, No I'm planning to take them in a minute. I had to get my mom a big clock, which has been great, that sets on the counter with her medicine. The clock is made for seniors and gives the time, day of the week, and date. She was having trouble remembering to take her medicine and she would say, How am I supposed to know what day it is! So the clock helps. My mom is 80, has vascular dementia, COPD, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Also kidney disease but that's probably the least of our worries. One of her night time pills is to help with depression and appetite. She has been underweight. She lives alone. Any advice on getting her to take her meds? I go over every day but I like to be home at night with my family and she doesn't live right next door. Now that I'm typing that it feels awfully selfish of me. Should my sister and I just take turns being at her house at night to administer the PM meds? Oh she also has blisters on the tops of her feet! Big blisters. Dr's won't tell us anything. Thank you all! I love this website and have gotten so much peace from reading about others peoples experiences as care givers for loved ones.
(edit) And she isn't lying, she probably believes she took her pills and confronting her with the truth just confuses her, makes her defensive and paints you as the nag who is causing her grief.
I just took her credit card away (last Friday) and have been to the bank and told them, if she tries to withdrawal more than $200 DO NOT GIVE IT TO HER! Last week she tried to withdrawal thousands- someone was scamming her. Thank God the teller knows her and told her it was not a good idea. Great thing about living is a small town I guess.
If she can't afford it, apply for Medicaid. Nobody wants to live in or place a loved one in a facility, but they are better then being alone in a house and slowly deteriorating for lack of stability. This is nothing against what you and your sister are doing, I mean no criticism. I too have elderly parents who by golly are going to do it their way, come what may. I personally can not have either of them live at my home, they are just to stubborn.
I hope you find a solution that relieves the stress, I know this causes. HUGS
Would Assisted Living be an option for her? The staff could make certain she takes her meds every day and every night. Short of that, yes, you probably should go there and make sure she takes her meds and don’t let her tell you “in a minute”.
There will be a period of adjustment, certainly, but the combination of being ill and being in an overstimulating, unfamiliar environment like a hospital often causes confusion and even psychosis in some elders. Not the same thing as placement in an LTC facility.
Who takes her to doctor appointments?
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