When Your Loved One With Dementia Refuses Medication
Administering medications to a loved one with dementia can be challenging because they have to be administered daily – and often several times a day, most likely with food and within a specific time frame. In cases of cognitive impairment, when a loved one refuses the very thing that will make them better, anger and frustration can run high on both sides.
JUMP TO: Why Do Dementia Patients Refuse Medication? | Tips | Support
Why Do Dementia Patients Refuse Medication?
Understanding why your loved one with dementia is refusing medication can help you approach the situation with patience and empathy. Complicating matters further are the facts that:
- Your loved one may be refusing because they are confused or don’t understand what the medication is for,
- They resist due to the fact they don’t like the medicine’s taste or its side effects, or
- They are angry you are making them do something they don’t want to, which is prompting feelings of loss of control.
Recognizing these triggers is essential for addressing the root causes of their resistance and finding strategies that encourage cooperation.
Tips for a Dementia Patient Refusing Medication
Are there are way too many pills, is dosing complicated, are you and your loved one feeling overwhelmed? Here are some helpful hints to managing medications in instances of refusal due to dementia:
- Stay calm, if you are frustrated or angry they will react in kind.
- Never try to force the medications, stop and then try again in 15 minutes.
- Don’t go into a lengthy explanation of what the medicine is for and why it is important. Keep it short and sweet and give the pill with a big glass of water.
- Perhaps demonstrate what you want them to do, or pretend to take a pill yourself (use a vitamin).
- If the pill is too large or difficult to swallow, check with the physician about an alternative or liquid.
- Be alert to side effects from the medicine, dental problems, or a urinary tract infection which might be affecting their behavior.
- Keep things that trigger distress to a minimum when it is time for medication.
- Check with the doctor to see if you can adjust their medication schedule to the times of day when they’re in the best mood.
- Stick to a routine when giving the medications – same time and in the same place each day, or always right after the meal.
- Consider giving them a treat for taking their medication as a reward. It might even help with the bad aftertaste!
If gentile coaxing throughout the day doesn’t work, talk to the doctor and review all the prescriptions your loved one is taking – perhaps some are no longer needed, perhaps the dose or frequency can be changed. While discussing medications, it’s natural to wonder, do dementia patients have the right to refuse medication? This highlights the importance of working collaboratively with healthcare professionals to ensure the medication regimen is both necessary and manageable. Be cognizant of whether the medications are to be taken with or without food, and make sure your loved one stays hydrated. Remember, many drugs interact with each other as well as with certain foods. As a person ages their metabolism slows and overdosing or mis-dosing can be extremely toxic so you have to be extremely careful. Read more practical every day tips on how to manage medications safely.
Support for Dementia Patients Refusing Medication
If your loved one is resistant to taking their prescriptions, or dementia refusing medication, a caregiver or companion near you from Visiting Angels can be of great help at home, with dementia home care, by making sure your parent or spouse is taking their pills and watching for medication side effects as well. They can prepare a meal or a snack if the prescription is to be taken with food. When you are beyond frustrated, too tired to argue, and your relationship with your loved one begins to suffer, that’s when an “Angel” can save the day as a neutral party. In situations like these, our caregivers and companions are trained to distract rather than react, and can provide proper care throughout the day, especially at medication time, to give you peace of mind.
Till Next Time!
Irv Seldin, JD, President and Owner, Visiting Angels of the Palm Beaches
This article is not intended as medical advice.