Tips for tablet taking etc

[LizzyA]

Hi everyone. My mum has mixed dementia and we have seen a marked deterioration recently...lots of stuff happening (none of it good) but the main reason for posting is that I've realised in the last couple of weeks that she's taking her tablets (for high blood pressure etc) erratically, if at all.

This is a big change as it was something that she was doing reliably - they are in a nomad pack. We went to the memory clinic a few days ago and they are writing to social services to arrange a carer to come in daily, to prepare lunch and supervise tablet taking. Before this gets sorted (it might take a while) has anyone got any ideas about tips to remind mum to take the tablets - I can ring her but can't guarantee she'll actually take them...? She has a reminder on her white board but has a fear of anything electronic or beeping so I've not set up an alarm or anything similar.

I was hoping that as she needs the bp tablets to keep her well that the doctor might be able to help and arrange for the district nurse to visit in the interim but it seems not........does this sound right?

The memory clinic have taken her off donepezil as she hasn't been taking it and discharged her!

Mum is pretty wound up at the idea of someone coming in so I predict fun times ahead........

 

[Pepper&Spice]

Hi Lizzy - sorry to hear that you're having lots of changes and not good ones ! How about a weekly / daily pill box with just the tablets for that day split into different times of day ? Or if not does she have a routine that she follows where the pills she needs at that point are in with the routine ? Sorry didn't explain that very well ! A colleague has the pills for her mum at set places around the house so say the morning pills with her tooth brush etc I never had this with mum as I supervised her morning and bedtime pills myself and the carer did lunchtime ones ( she has high blood pressure and bad arthritis). Though having said that I had to get a lockable box in the end as she was taking them before the carer came and then none of us had any idea what she'd had or not had
Others will give you suggestions about handling the arrival of carers on the scene - I was lucky as mum was fairly accepting, though she always insisted that she didn't need them - I said they were for my benefit, which in a roundabout way, they were
Good luck and hope all goes well,
Love P

 

[Tin]

Do you visit your mum every day at a set time? maybe with a little alteration you could oversee the pill taking.

 

[LizzyA]

Thank you. I don't really know what will work as she doesn't seem to remember things from one minute to the next now so doesn't really have a routine.

Sadly, no, I can't visit every day, more like once or twice a week........

 

[Pepper&Spice]

Okay so that won't work. How about explaining the problem to SS ? Does she need to take all the meds ? Could she take them a different time of day say when you can get someone just to pop in to check ? Check with her Doc if she still needs them and ask what he would suggest you do If he says she Must take them then get back to SS and tell them what the doc says - it might get things moving quicker if it's a health issue and they have a duty of care because she is a vulnerable adult.
Best of luck Lizzie and try not to worry too much.
Love P

 

[LizzyA]

Okay so that won't work. How about explaining the problem to SS ? Does she need to take all the meds ? Could she take them a different time of day say when you can get someone just to pop in to check ? Check with her Doc if she still needs them and ask what he would suggest you do If he says she Must take them then get back to SS and tell them what the doc says - it might get things moving quicker if it's a health issue and they have a duty of care because she is a vulnerable adult.
Best of luck Lizzie and try not to worry too much.
Love P

Thank you Pepper, that is a good idea. It is so emotionally hard isn't it. I really appreciate you coming back to me, I thought that this would be a more common issue and that others would have suggestions but I've had 180 views so maybe not!! xx

 

[jeany123]

It is a common problem but really there is no real answer apart from making sure someone is there to give the medication when required,

 

[Liz57]

The pharmacy make mums tablets up into a box with all the right times etc. shown. If I can't be with her to get her to take them I phone her. We do then have to go through the "no, I don't take any tablets", followed by a hunt the dosette box (not always successful) but for the most part it works. However, when we recently had a visit from the memory clinic nurse (a once a year visit), she noticed that some of mums tablets were still in there so we're getting a referral to adult social care for someone to come in to encourage mum to take her medication. Well, at least that was promised but then that was three months ago and we've heard nothing since ........

 

[Miss shiraz]

My MIL has a dosette box delivered weekly, on Thursday afternoon, the box goes Monday to Sunday so this caused great confusion.... tablets doubled up, wrong time, day etc. As she's diabetic, the Doc arranged for district nurse to call each morning, tablets are stored in locked box (combination to access). The DN gets tabs out for the day and puts in labelled little tubs by the kettle (drinks loads of coffee.. decaf!!) but still she forgets the evening and bedtime ones at times. They are diabetes and alz tabs, her behaviour is noticeably worse when she's not taken them. Its really not an easy one to manage, you can call to remind her but puts phone down and forgets, what more can we do. There are various alarm reminders but i don't think these would help her and probably cause even more confusion!!.
Try speaking to doc to review meds and see if DN visit can be arranged (warning though .. They really don't want to do this so need to lay it on). We tried to get carer visits through SS but they can't offer this support. DN observes her taking meds/insulin in morning but doesn't actually administer.
she was really against DN visits as she felt she was losing control. We just said that Doc insisted on it to help her and we had to be guided my him.
good luck and do let us know how you get on lizzie