Mum's refusing medication

[CocoChanel]

Hi All, and thanks for reading.
My mum was prescribed Aricept (?) recently and she's refusing to take it as she thinks she's developed an allergy to it.
Mum has a history of 'reactions' to medication - and she googles everything new to her. She's constantly telling her care staff (she's in a care home) that "she's her own doctor", and we're getting the impression that the care staff are getting somewhat fed up with her behaviour.
The thing is that the neurologist prescribed the medication after a short meeting with mum, and he's due to meet with her again early in November. We (her offspring) are absolutely certain that she's in the early to mid stages of Alzheimer's, but mum is refusing to accept this. According to her, she's still "100% ok up there" :-(
We simply don't know how to deal with this. Mum is angry, controlling, and stubborn. Her actions and comments are pushing us away, but we know we need to hang in there and be there for her.
I must add that mum lives abroad and only has one of our siblings living close by - this particular sibling is bearing the brunt of everything at the moment, and I'm not sure how much more she can take :-(
I'd be grateful for any ideas you might have.

Thanks xx

 

[Beate]

The home must have come across this before, surely! They should be giving her the medication covertly, crushed up or hidden in food like yoghurts or mousses. No good trying to convince her, so just be a little creative.

 

[CocoChanel]

The home must have come across this before, surely! They should be giving her the medication covertly, crushed up or hidden in food like yoghurts or mousses. No good trying to convince her, so just be a little creative.

Good point, Beate! I hadn't even thought of that! I'll suggest it to my sister.
We're so new to this that these ideas don't even cross our minds :-(

 

[canary]

Would she take "vitamin" pills ?

 

[Kevinl]

If your mum can "and she googles everything new to her" then that's very, very early stage in my book, certainly not mid stage, I'd say someone mid stage couldn't use a TV remote let alone a computer, probably still be able to use a knife and fork and a toilet though.
Covert medication in care homes is very strictly monitored if indeed they're allowed to do it at all.
In an EMI nursing home there is a list in the clinic of who can be covertly medicated and that is only after the doctor has agreed and put this in the care records, the home can't make the decision for themselves, it may be illegal unless the person is sectioned when it is normally allowed under the mental health act.
Some medications are slow release and should never be crushed up, again you need medical advise before doing this.
That's not to say I've never done them at home but in a home they may well be breaking the rules and if they're prepared to break some rules why not others, bit of a slippery slope if they do.
K

 

[CocoChanel]

If your mum can "and she googles everything new to her" then that's very, very early stage in my book, certainly not mid stage, I'd say someone mid stage couldn't use a TV remote let alone a computer, probably still be able to use a knife and fork and a toilet though.
Covert medication in care homes is very strictly monitored if indeed they're allowed to do it at all.
In an EMI nursing home there is a list in the clinic of who can be covertly medicated and that is only after the doctor has agreed and put this in the care records, the home can't make the decision for themselves, it may be illegal unless the person is sectioned when it is normally allowed under the mental health act.
Some medications are slow release and should never be crushed up, again you need medical advise before doing this.
That's not to say I've never done them at home but in a home they may well be breaking the rules and if they're prepared to break some rules why not others, bit of a slippery slope if they do.
K

Ah, good point, Kevini. I hadn't thought of it that way.
I guess all we can do is to speak with the neurologist when he sees her on November 9th. In the meantime, we'll just have to grin and bear it.
Thanks for your advice!

 

[Saltydog]

I can imagine how concerned you are and the stress of this is causing.

Kevinl is correct when he says care homes are very strict on medicating.

I think I would start from looking at whether your mum has capacity to make the decision to take them or not.

The care Staff need to make arrangements to get her capacity assessed. If it is deemed that she lacks the capacity to decide whether she takes them or not. The process will look at her ability to understand what it means to decide to take the medication or not.

If it is deemed that she lacks the capacity on this one issue then it will then treated as a ‘best interests’ case - I.e is it in her best interests to take the medication. They take multiple factors into account to make a best interest.

I hope you you get some resolution - xxx

 

[Saltydog]

Also, if it is deemed your mum has capacity and she still refuses the medication then there is very little you can do. The person has a right to make a poor decision as long they fully understand the implications.

 

[Bunpoots]

Has your mum said why she thinks she's allergic to Aricept?

 

[CocoChanel]

Has your mum said why she thinks she's allergic to Aricept?

No, but then she thinks she's allergic to everything.

Latest development is that she was taken to hospital last night with panic attack symptoms and involuntary twitches/ticks in her upper body.

 

[CocoChanel]

...and it turns out that it was indeed a reaction to Aricept :-(

 

[Bunpoots]

My dad was ok on the smallest dose of Aricept but couldn't tolerate an increase. I hope your mum's ok now?

 

[CocoChanel]

My dad was ok on the smallest dose of Aricept but couldn't tolerate an increase. I hope your mum's ok now?

Hi Bunpoots. Well she hasn't been taking any medication since they found out her reaction was to the Aricept. Her short term memory is shot to bits - she can't remember anything from about 10 minutes previous.
She's now struggling with the technology she used to rely on so heavily over the past few years. I cam just about Skype with her, though she's unable to start a Skype conversation herself. I send her WhatsApp messages, but she rarely responds (she lives abroad).
I sort of feel that there's no point in medication now - it's not that medication could cure her - and that its best that we just let nature take its course. Not a nice thought - especially not for my sister who lives a 10 minute drive away and just can't say no...