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Who are you caring for?
Which best describes their mobility?
How well are they maintaining their hygiene?
How are they managing their medications?
Does their living environment pose any safety concerns?
Fall risks, spoiled food, or other threats to wellbeing
Are they experiencing any memory loss?
Which best describes your loved one's social life?
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I. How We Work in Washington. Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services. APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid. We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour. APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
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V. Complaints. Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
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Mostly Independent
Your loved one may not require home care or assisted living services at this time. However, continue to monitor their condition for changes and consider occasional in-home care services for help as needed.
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She might not need all her medications, such as cholesterol and blood pressure pills, since alzheimers is a terminal illness. Talk to her doctor about ending those scripts. If she takes an antipsychotic or antidepressant, and her mood benefits from it, you can talk to the doctor or pharmacy about adding it in powder or liquid form to a drink she enjoys. My mother's olanzapine is added to her tea or juice.
Her medications may come in liquid form and you can dose her food and drinks. Talk to the pharmacist. They'll tell you if some pill can be crushed and added to food or not. Or if they come in liquid form.
I use Outshine frozen pops. I let them defrost a little then I put the crushed pills in. He doesn't notice and he loves the pops. They are also good if you are having a hard time keeping your loved one hydrated.
That's a great idea. I used to put the medication in pudding then top it with whipped cream. Some medications will leave a taste. I just used to tell the clients that taste was because the pudding was sugar-free. They never questioned it.
Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you can crush the pills.
If you can, mix it with a small amount of pudding or ice cream and feed them to your mom, followed quickly with some more ice cream or pudding to eradicate the bad taste.
Thanks for that answer. My husband is in a late middle stage of Alzheimer’s. If he doesn’t want to take his meds, or I forget to give them, I don’t sweat it anymore.
Susan, it's time to discuss this with the doctor. There is little we can do as a forum of strangers. I am guessing you have already tried creative ways of hiding medications, but as an RN I do know this often results in failure. It is most definitely time for the MD to decide what medications are crucial to his patient's well-being and what can now be let go of. It may be time for discussions on palliative care.
A quick question @alvaDeer ~ my father also hates to take his meds. a few years ago a dr told me that it was okay to DC any preventive meds (cholesterol, etc). but, he still is prescribed a TON of meds: midodrine - Tamsulosin - sertraline - Celebrex - Tylenol - omeprazole - Synthroid. What can you stop? the one that helps him pee? the one that kills the heartburn? the one that stops the pain? (LOL - it doesn't)The one for depression, that really doesn't work for him - only 100mg * I take all his same meds (mostly) and I need 200mg sertraline AND welbutrin (works very well for me). anyway, he would LOVE to stop taking the meds, but what is really reasonable to discontinue? he is in AL and the facility dr just keeps ordering more of the same... TIA
Many medications can be obtained in other than oral doses. Some can be done as a liquid or a patch that is placed somewhere on the body. Some meds can be crushed (Before crushing any or splitting any check with the pharmacy and see if it is safe) Those can be put in pudding, ice cream, applesauce. I would also check with her doctor to see if any can be eliminated. Also let the doctor know that she is not compliant with meds so that he is aware and can monitor tests that need to be followed.
What medicine is she refusing? Our hospice nurse says if the patient doesn't want to take meds, don't force them. Do you know why she is refusing? Maybe she doesn't like the way it makes her feel.
But, if she doesn't understand what the consequence is, then she can't really make informed consent. I think it's up to you to decide the importance and efficacy of each medication she is supposed to take, and if you feel it's of great importance, hide the pill in a bite of pudding or jello, or find some way to administer without her knowing. Ask the prescribing doctor or pharmacist whether a medication is available in liquid form that you can add to her drink. Some medications could cause agitation if it is skipped. You have to determine if it is really worth fighting her on this. Let it go if it's not really important at this stage of her life.
Hi Susan! What medicine is prescribed for your mother? If it’s for ‘anxiety and depression’, as reported in your profile, it would be normal for her to be anxious and depressed, at least to some extent, so you need to know if what she is prescribed would help much. There is not much that can be prescribed for dementia. If getting her to take medicine is not easy, it’s good to find out how important it actually is. Check if she has signed the HIPPA authority so that you can talk to her doctor about it. Best wishes, Margaret
Leave her be, that's my suggestion. Severe Alzheimer's is terminal, so I'd call hospice in now if it were me. I hope your mother is not living alone at this point and has 24/7 care, because hospice will not come in to see her if that's not the case. You can always get her into Memory Care where hospice can come in, also.
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington.
Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services.
APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid.
We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour.
APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment.
You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints.
Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights.
APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.
I agree that:
A.
I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information").
B.
APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink.
C.
APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site.
D.
If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records.
E.
This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year.
F.
You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
Try to switch critical meds to patch/liquid/ or crushable form.
Does she need all of these meds?
That's a great idea. I used to put the medication in pudding then top it with whipped cream. Some medications will leave a taste. I just used to tell the clients that taste was because the pudding was sugar-free. They never questioned it.
If you can, mix it with a small amount of pudding or ice cream and feed them to your mom, followed quickly with some more ice cream or pudding to eradicate the bad taste.
If it’s things like cholesterol or blood pressure meds, just ditch those.
If it’s for her anxiety and agitation then try a compounding pharmacy.
It is most definitely time for the MD to decide what medications are crucial to his patient's well-being and what can now be let go of. It may be time for discussions on palliative care.
What can you stop? the one that helps him pee? the one that kills the heartburn? the one that stops the pain? (LOL - it doesn't)The one for depression, that really doesn't work for him - only 100mg * I take all his same meds (mostly) and I need 200mg sertraline AND welbutrin (works very well for me). anyway, he would LOVE to stop taking the meds, but what is really reasonable to discontinue? he is in AL and the facility dr just keeps ordering more of the same... TIA
Some can be done as a liquid or a patch that is placed somewhere on the body.
Some meds can be crushed (Before crushing any or splitting any check with the pharmacy and see if it is safe) Those can be put in pudding, ice cream, applesauce.
I would also check with her doctor to see if any can be eliminated.
Also let the doctor know that she is not compliant with meds so that he is aware and can monitor tests that need to be followed.
"I am caring for my mother...who is 86 years old, living at home with age-related decline, alzheimer's / dementia, anxiety, and depression."
Our hospice nurse says if the patient doesn't want to take meds, don't force them. Do you know why she is refusing? Maybe she doesn't like the way it makes her feel.
But, if she doesn't understand what the consequence is, then she can't really make informed consent. I think it's up to you to decide the importance and efficacy of each medication she is supposed to take, and if you feel it's of great importance, hide the pill in a bite of pudding or jello, or find some way to administer without her knowing. Ask the prescribing doctor or pharmacist whether a medication is available in liquid form that you can add to her drink.
Some medications could cause agitation if it is skipped. You have to determine if it is really worth fighting her on this. Let it go if it's not really important at this stage of her life.
Best of luck to you.