My dad has had dementia for years but this last year he has had confabulations which have escalated to epic proportions. He thinks my elderly mother is having an affair and he’s aggressive and a danger to her. He has already threatened to kill her. He has been put on antipsychotic medication but is refusing to take it. Our only hope for her safety is that he takes the meds, and we’re at a loss as to handle this situation. Any help appreciated.
Refusing antipsychotic meds
- Thread starter Colette DH
- Start date
Pill or liquid form? You will have to get creative. If liquid you could disguise in a sugary drink. Not all pills can be crushed so you need to find this out, pharmacy could answer this for you, but really you should ask his gp. If you get the go ahead then you could 'hide' this in a dessert of some kind, but please find out first.
The other possible is the time of day he is taking the medication. When my mum was taking medications I cold not get her to take anything late afternoon, I had better results in the morning hours.
The other possible is the time of day he is taking the medication. When my mum was taking medications I cold not get her to take anything late afternoon, I had better results in the morning hours.
My brother, who had to move in when my mother moved out, is nervous of dad finding out he’s put the pill in his food. The dementia has made him so aggressive and paranoid. He’s capable of some nasty behaviour. I’m Contacting the doc on Monday to see if we can get liquid form. Thanks for your relpy.
Welcome to TP @Colette DH
Please don’t be afraid to call the police if your mum is threatened.
As Beate says ask the GP about giving the medicine covertly. Don’t let them fob you off.
Please don’t be afraid to call the police if your mum is threatened.
As Beate says ask the GP about giving the medicine covertly. Don’t let them fob you off.
Thank you. Our GP is woefully bad. My mum has had to move out so she’s safe but it can’t be a Long term solution. Going back to physiatrist to get advice.
@Colette DH my late husband needed, but would refuse to take, his medications too. After discussion, his doctor felt that although it wasn't ideal, it was important to get them in "whatever way I could". He did change his risperidone to a "quicklet", which dissolved instantly on the tongue, and seemed to be mint flavoured, as I could smell mint. My husband seemed to enjoy that. He appeared to like the slight fizzing sensation it gave as it dissolved, because every time he took it, he would give a little grin and softly say "phwshh"! 
His other meds (trazadone mostly) were capsules, and I was told to open them and mix the contents with his favourite ice cream.
His other meds (trazadone mostly) were capsules, and I was told to open them and mix the contents with his favourite ice cream.Thank you. I’ll look into that. Unfortunately for us my dad is still quite ‘switch on’ in a lot of ways. The confabulations have overtaken the other dementia symptoms and he is adamant there is nothing wrong with him and we’re all conspiring against him. His previous aggressive and ‘never wrong’ personality has magnified with dementia. He’s incredibly difficult to deal with. But we are hopeful. It’s the only way to be
You may find this helpful https://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/threads/compassionate-communication-with-the-memory-impaired.30801/
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