My mother with dementia has recently been refusing her meds. She has some can be crushed & others can't. What foods can I put crushed ones?

Check if liquid version could be mixed with a drink of juice or milk

If you or someone you look after is finding it hard to swallow tabletsor capsules (solid medicines), it’s easy to think the answer is to crush a tablet or open a capsule to make swallowing simpler. Mixing the contents of a capsule with food or adding a crushed tablet to a drink might seem easier than bothering your doctor or nurse to change a prescription to an alternative like a Liquid Medicine. But you should never crush a tablet or open a capsule without first checking that it is safe to do so. The simplest way to check is to look at the patient information leaflet which comes with your medicine. If this leaflet says the medicine is suitable for crushing, opening or mixing with food, then it is probably safe to do so.

Prunes bulk but soften stools - dried fruits help too rather than medicines

Senekot can be crushed & put in anything she likes . ...I usually choose applesauce or ice cream.

I recommend magnesium supplements to help the bowels. It is gentle and it helps in other ways. It should be given at night as it is a natural relaxant.

A tablespoon of applesauce or just a tablespoon of her favorite jelly to get the meds in. I think maybe you are using to much food to deliver the meds, making the whole meal taste off.

I agree with Tothill, does she really need Cholesterol meds? Atva certain age, who cares if your cholesterol is high. It also has been proven to contribute to Dementia.

A couple things they use at the memory care facility are flavored yogurt, applesauce, and sometimes whipped cream with chocolate sauce.
I agree with the others about her BMs. Talk to a pharmacist about what she can take. Maybe ask about a metamucil in Orange juice or something. Where I work you need Dr orders for crushed pills, laxatives, or even stopping meds so I realize my advice may seem a little different. Sometimes patience is a key too. There's usually 2hour leeway with some pills. And don't put them in a lot of the mixer. A bite or two is simplest.

When I worked for a TCM practitioner, many of the Chinese herbs taste nasty. One trick was to eat a couple raisins before taking the medication (it was a liquid). The sweetness of raisins tends to stay in the mouth due to being sticky and really helps. Eating a few more after helped clear out the residual taste of the medicine.

You have not completed your profile. How old is Mum?

Have you had a conversation with her doctor about whether or not she needs the various medications or if there are alternatives? Does she really need her cholesterol medication? Have you tried adding psyllium to her diet, it is not a stool softener, but can help keep things moving.

There are other things that can help to keep bowels moving, but because your mother is taking other medications, you would need to talk to her pharmacist to see if they are appropriate. The pharmacist is the person who could probably answer your questions.

Karyll, for my own Mom the chocolate ice cream did the trick. In fact, whenever someone served Mom ice cream without the crushed pills she didn't like the taste :)

If your Mom is lactose intolerant, Lactaid makes a really good chocolate ice cream that won't upset Mom's stomach. It also comes in vanilla.

Guess it all depends on the fillers used in the pills which is done to make the pills larger to pick up. Each pharmaceutical has their own fillers. If one pill doesn't work, maybe another pharmaceutical maker has fillers that are easier to taste.