Mom gets her pills in morning and at night and is not remembering taking them at all. What can I do?

I think the automated pill boxes are a great idea. But people with dementia sometimes can't remember what to do with the pills once they get them in their hands, or can't remember how to get the alarm to shut off. Even the nurse thought it would be a good idea for my mother to try out. It just didn't work out. No need at all for you to apologize for suggesting it, wendala128!

Jeannegibbs, I am SO sorry! I looked above and read your post...I feel silly. Now I have no words, because that is one I have not thought of! God bless!

wendala128 Those are best for people who don't have dementia. See the problems my mother had, in the post above yours. I'm having such a hard time lately trying to remember to take my own pills, maybe I'm a good candidate for such a box!

there are companies out there that have automated pill dispensers. They run about 30 bucks a month here in our area of PA, but the agency I work for as a caregiver has had good reports from families who use them. The dispenser is set with a timer, spits out the pills for that time of day and sounds an alarm if they are not taken. I am unsure the name of the company, but you could Google it.

The visiting nurse brought Mom a fancy automated pill dispenser that buzzed when it was time to open the door and take the pills. When a sister visited she noticed the pills were still in it. What happened with your pills, Mom? Oh, that buzzer was driving me crazy, so I unplugged it. (Which had to involve crawling under a table!) We got that all straightened out and later another sister noticed a little bowl of pills on the table. What are these Mom? Those are the pills from the machine. I have to take them out so it doesn't buzz. Why didn't you take them when you took them out? Take them? Was I supposed to take them? Why didn't someone tell me?

When I certain point in dementia is reached the only safe way to administer pills is for someone to hand them to the person and watch while they are taken. Sad, but that is how it is.

Not taking meds correctly was what changed Moms care situation for me. She was taking her own meds for 84 years and doing a great job of it but as her dementia progressed she was taking too many. I kept up with it by only filling them every 30 days so I knew when it got off. I had to hire a caregiver and she was pretty pissed. I don't live with Mom and probably never will.My sister and I had been looking ,knowing this day would come and we called them and set up an inervention type meeting. The caregiver director and some of my siblings all came over to her condo and told her this is what we're gonna do to help you stay independant ( she lives is an unassisted retirement community). She was livid but eventually agreed. It hasn't been all smooth-she locked her out once and called and fussed (cussed) us out a few times but we stuck to our guns. Not taking meds correctly isn't an option-its one of the main reasons people go to assisted living. We are on a journey and it is absolutely NOT like raising your child but it is part of life. I help give care to my in-laws 20 years ago when they both died of term cancer 6 months apart . We kept them at home until the end with round the clock care. I pray alot for God to watch over us and helps do the right thing for ourselves as well as for Mom. God bless all of you and make time for yourself -no matter what.

My mother also has trouble remembering if she took her pills. We had problems with her medication for two years before she would finally let me handle them. She doesn't have the ability to understand pill boxes or timer devices, so I prepare each pill session individually. Twice a day I put her pills in a bottle, then set them where I know she will be. Then I check to make sure she took them. She also takes insulin, which I bring to her to make sure she takes it.

It holds a months worth of pm and am meds you fill it take the key and it goes off at the am and pm times you select.

I have a great machine that sounds when it is time for meds, we used it with Mom when she lived alone. I would be willing to sell it for 40.00 dollars, it is called MedReady automated medication system it worked well for her but since i do her meds now i have not used it.

Unfortunately, there is probably nothing that will make her understand she has already taken them. That's part of dementia. Forgetting and then obsessing about doing something they already did. Don't leave the meds where she can get them and reassure her that she already had them, then move on. The best way to deal with theses kinds of situations is to distract her. Redirect is a word used often with dementia and AD. When someone is fixated on something, the best way to deal with it is to redirect their attention to something else. It may not work at first, but keep trying. This behavior will get worse and you will have to learn to handle it. Your mom has no control over it, so just go with the flow!
Hope this helps. Good luck!

How about making a little chart and have her initial when she takes the pills?

I understand about her not being responsible. What can I do to remind her when she has taken them though, write it down, take a picture? Im currently working on changing my job situation this will improve it a lot. I take care of her meds making sure she gets them on time

This is a big problem with dementia patients. They have no sense of time or day, so shouldn't be expected to take their meds without supervision, especially if taking them all at once, or not getting them at all, puts them at risk. I have a locked pillbox that has 28 slots. It has a clock mode, a dosage mode and a ringing alarm that you set for pill taking times. Mom takes pills 4 times a day, so I have enough slots for a weeks worth of pills. It runs on 2 "AA" batteries and turns to the correct slot at the time you set, then rings until the pills are turned out.
It is a reminded to anyone who is with Mom, that it is time for her pills. She gets all her pills with applesauce. We used to give them to her with yogurt, but the neurologist said that was not a good idea as the yogurt coats the stomach and keeps the meds from being absorbed completely. Pretty much the same with any dairy, like puddings. Applesauce is best.
Your mom cannot be expected to keep track of her own meds anymore. Prompts may help occasionally, but if she needs her meds on time, best someone make sure she gets them to be sure. Good luck!

what i have been doing is giving her am/afternoon pills in the morning before she goes to adult daycare center....then at supper - bedtime she gets the remainder. Just some nights (like last night) she will take them and 15 minutes later doesn't remember so im getting to the point of taking picture and will start writing a journal with date and time of when her medicine is given.

My husband with dementia took so many pills it was a real chore to set them up. His daughter came and filled two weeks worth of pill boxes at a time, which was a great help.

Then it was my job to take the pills out and give them to my husband at the appropriate times. He could not be relied upon to do it correctly himself. I see that my sister treats my mother's (92, dementia) pills the same way, so that is what I do when she visits me.

Since Mom lives with you and you have a caregiver with you when you work, this might be the most reliable method for you, too. Just give her the pills she needs to take at the appropriate time, and don't confuse her with the pill box.

I served my husband's in a little dish, along with a side of yogurt or applesauce. He first arranged the pills in the dish, grouping the small ones he liked to take together, then he took a group in his spoon, dumped it in the other dish, and scooped up pills and yogurt/applesauce together. He felt in control of taking pills the way he wanted to, but I was in control of what pills he took.

[I wish someone would do this for me. Sigh. I'm having a horrid time remembering to take my own pills on time. :( ]