My grandfather and I are having a really tough time convincing my grandmother to take her pills and eye drops. She believes that she is taking them for someone else, and that they are not for her health. On a good day it takes us 30 minutes to convince her. Has anyone had similar issues, and if so how did you go about making this medication administration process easier?

I don't have any answers, but at least wanted to reply. My mom is pretty compliant. Of course lately, she's been sick and because of that she's had to start using asthma inhalers and SHE DOES NOT LIKE THEM. Because it involves more than taking a pill, I have to be right there coaching her through the inhalers (blow out, put it to your mouth, etc.). She is not into these things at all.

I used to crush my husband's pills (if they were crushable) and give them to him in pudding. He would take them without knowing.

I would never have been able to give eye drops to my dad, at least by myself.

I had a terrible time giving him insulin but found the best way was to distract him somehow with something else and then quickly administer the injection. Eventually the doc let me go to Lantus which was one time per day instead of 3 or 4 times per day. And I stopped doing blood sticks finally. How you might apply something like that to eye drops I have no good idea.

I was able to get a few drugs in liquid form such as Neurontin and hydrocodone.

I was able to get ABHR and later ABH as a cream.

Most pills I could crush and hide in ice cream or pudding. But one, Geodon I think, I had to open the capsule and crush up the little balls and mix it with water and then I'd put a certain amount in juice.

Good luck with it - sounds really hard on the eye drops.

We have the same problem with my BF's Mom, at first when she started thinking her medication was just us trying to poison and she refused to take it.. I would put a couple of chocolate M & M's in her little cup with her medications. She thought she was getting a special treat and would hurry up and take them (not even topping to chew) before I could change my mind. ha ha

Then it got to the point that wouldn't even work, so I had to start crushing everything and hiding it in her food, I usually picked the one food that was on plate that I knew she was going to eat first.. mashed potatoes, pudding, applesauce, yogurt..

Now that she is on hospice and she only takes pain med and Xanax.. I just crush it (because now she can't swallow a pill) and mix it into her first bite of food. I always put it in her first bite because I never know if she is going to eat or not.

You and Grandpa might have to do a little theraputic fib to get Grandma to take her meds.

When my mom first moved in with me, I would put the pills in my hand and say "here, you need to take your pills." I figured the medicine box with the days of the week, she wouldn't need anymore since she was no longer alone. Well, that didn't work. She questioned me till I blew. So I went back to the medicine box. (It actually has seperate days of the week that are removable) After she has something to eat, I put the box(only the one with the day of the week it is) in front of her. I say "Mom, when you get a chance, take your pills". Seem if it is her idea, she will.

The eye drops, oh the eye drops. She had 3 different drops. Two were twice a day, one was four times a day. What a struggle that was!! Finally I did 2 things. First I told her that without the drops, she would go blind, and when that wouldn't help, I just stood in front of her until she put her head back and let me put them in. She no longer gives me a difficult time.
Let me know if any works.

The pills don't seem as big of an issue as the eye drops. Although at times she thinks we are trying to poison her. With the eye drops, it seems like a game to her. She will put her head back, and then when we go to put the drops in she will tilt her head forward. It's such a challenge, but eventually she lets us win, although this usually takes an hour, so I wonder who the real winner is

Isn't it funny how they know how to play those "games"?? Most of the time when I put the drops in Moms eyes, she will sit back in the chair, but she won't tilt her head back. I have to say, Mom, why do you wait until I ask to tilt your head back. She says, because I like to agravate you!!

Go figure!

Jackie

Eye Drops was an issue with us as well. Although I didn't have a problem with getting her to hold her head back, my problem was keeping her from blinking as soon as the drop left the vial and before it actually hit the eye.

Eye drops do not do any good if they are placed on the top of the lid. ha ha

When she figured out it was drop time you couldn't pry her eye open for love or money. No amount of begging would work. I have even had to put myself in time out to keep from having a temper tantrum. ha ha

Finally the hospice nurse told me the the same drop that we were using comes in a gel form, No more tilting the head back, all I have to do is gently pull the lower lid down, squeeze 1/4 inch smear on to it.. and she doesn't have time to think about it now or close her eyes before it hits.

You might check to see if any of the drops that your Grandma has to have comes in a gel form.

Jackie: i wonder if your Mom and my BF's Mom are long lost sisters.. She used to say the same things to me when I would ask her why are you acting like this???

What it boils down to is I think she liked to see me go out to the garage to kick the trash can out of frustration because that gave her a chance to get into something.. LOL

My Mom's Nurse has a theory, bless her heart. The theory is to let them do things for as long as they can, so they will keep that skill? Well, one was the eye-drops in the afternoon, she gives them to her every morning.

So being the terrible enabler that I can be, I would just have her rest her head on the back of the couch, and guide her hand, so she wouldn't poke her eye out? I knew it wasn't right, but, hey, I love her, and it is hard to see her struggle so?

We may need to get His & Hers afternoon 'beeping' med trays too. They both forget their afternoon meds, more than remember them! *Sigh*