My Elderly Parent Refuses To Take His Medication: What Can I Do?

If an aging parent refuses to take their medication, video for ideas that will help.
“Ask the Expert” comes to you courtesy of Rhonda Caudell, The Aging Parent Expert and owner of Endless Legacy LC
Rhonda Caudell RN, CCM, The Aging Parent Expert, at Endless Legacy, struggled helping her aging parents utilizing the same planning process that worked well with her senior clients in her care management consulting practice. Ultimately, she discovered the transformational breakthrough of what must change for an aging parent and adult child cooperative partnership to work well. Over time her Dad developed Alzheimer’s and Vascular Dementia requiring her care for 8 years. She also desires to help other adults of parents with dementia to know how to thrive and connect with their parent, not just survive. Those adults find community with others and support at Dementia Distress Relief

My Dad is on several medications for high blood pressure, memory loss and arthritis. He used to be very willing to take his pills as long as we set them in a pill box. Now he won't take them, but won't tell us what the problem is either.

Since you relate your Dad is on medication for "memory loss", one has to consider if the reason for not taking the medications now may be related to some kind of progressing dementia. Dementia could cause one to become confused about many things that once was routine.

It would be best for the family to consult with your Dad's physician as to this new development, and determine how long it has been going on, all medications prescribed, any other new medical issues or symptoms, and the possible causes. It needs to be determined if he does have a diagnosis of some kind of dementia that is not reversible. If so, it may mean that a new way to ensure your Dad's medications are given and dispensed is now necessary for him, which could include someone to administer his meds and ensure he is taking them as prescribed.

Thanks for tuning in to the Care Coach Insider News “Ask the Expert.”

Rhonda Caudell's education, years experience as a nurse geriatric care manager, lifelong love for seniors, personal elderly parent care experiences, an innate giftedness to recognize, communicate, and solve problems, and Rhonda's passion to enable adults to create a parent care model they would want their own kids to apply when they need help inspired and motivated her to create Endless Legacy, a site where adults can find empowerment and the support needed to help their parents finish well and leave a family legacy that will be aspired by generations to come. A Legacy that is truly Endless!

[dianestrain]

The music is so loud at the beginning and end but I can't hear what you're saying.

[oneshadowdragon]

My uncle refuses to go to hospital he is having difficulty breathing he doesn't even care what's wrong with him I feel like I have more interest in his health than him. He can't even walk should I call the police he thinks he can still drive. I already called the ambulance once he refused to go with them.