This is new. Until this weekend mom was good about taking her pills.
Saturday morning I caught her spitting the pills I'd given her into the toilet. This was odd and she denied it when I said something.
Tonight I gave her the evening meds and she announced she had to go to the toilet. I accompanied her as she is shaky. She uses Rollator and I follow with wheelchair.
Yep, she was spitting pills. This despite taking drinks of water.
I can't hide them in food. She dislikes applesauce. Any tips?
She was on one a day multi vitamins. I used the gummy ones and she ate them like candy.
Ice cream was another mixer for crushed pills.
I also found out that one of the protein drinks could be made into a pudding and I used that as well.
By all means check with the pharmcy as to which pills can be crushed and if liquid meds are available.
Many people do not realize that as people get older, their bodies become less tolerant. In your profile you state that your mother is 86. At her age, digestion slows, elimination slows, metabolism slows (she has more fat than muscle), and her brain is literally shrinking even if she didn't have dementia.
Rather than getting upset with her and confronting her so that she feels she has to deny spitting out the pills, take her to go to the pharmacist for a review of all her medications and dosages. In my opinion, pharmacists are a valuable but underused resource to old people and their caregivers.
See what a pharmacist has to say about her meds and dosages. Use that information at her next doctor's visit because some medications need to be tapered. And ask if doses can be lowered and whether all the medications are really still necessary. Most medications are eliminated in urine and at 86, kidneys are fragile.
Pudding works. Ice cream, jelly
Have you tried crushing the pills. It might be that swallowing a pill is difficult for her.
Many of the pills you get can be obtained as a liquid. Some are even available as a dissolve-able strip you place on the tongue. You can ask about that.
I would also do a double check on all her medications. Eliminate ones that she really does not need.
Some elders reach a point where they refuse to take pills, period. And then you just have to let the chips fall where they may. It's her life, after all, and her decision on how to live it.
Good luck!!