Not taking tablets

[NotTooOldPaul]

I am probably posting this in the wrong place but I need advice.
My wife is 77 so is in the age range of elderly parents on here. I am the same age.
She had breast cancer ten years ago and one of the drugs given was Herceptin, this caused heart failure.She has recovered well but I find it really difficult to get her to take her medication every day. She should take three tablets every morning and two every afternoon. I get them and put them in dossett boxes and looking at last weeks she took her morning tablets on three days and none of the afternoon tablets.
I don’t want to be a nagging husband but has anyone any ideas that might help her take them. I think she is showing lots of signs of dementia.She does not remember a lot and asks the strangest questions totally out of context.
Her balance is poor and she has been given a zimmer but for the past few days has refused to use it and wants me to help her move around the house (outside I push her in a wheelchair).
I feel that if she took her tablets her heart would work better and she would feel better but how can I get her to take them?

Not sure if this will help but my dad was the same with medication just did not understand what he should be taking on when to take it and the solution was for my mum to supervise him having the medication and taking hers at the same time.

Have you asked her why she doesn’t want to take them? There could be also sorts of reasons.

It sounds like you need to book her a double GP appointment to discuss your concerns about her memory and also ask for a referal to the falls clinic. Most health trusts have a version of a falls clinic, it’s a holistic service where they review her meds, see a physio in case they need to recommend any exercise and OT to see if their is any equipment to help at home.

Does she have heart failure nurse too? It’s worth speaking to them too.

I would try to add a routine to the day around the tablet taking. I really feel for you as I know what it is like trying to help someone who is a bit stubborn. If you have morning coffee and biscuits, sit down with her and give her the tablets. Try chatting away to take her mind off it. In the afternoon maybe tea and cake .

Of course it is not possible to force her but I would try to make as light of it as possible. In my experience, the more you try to insist the bigger the resistance,

For encouraging the Zimmer, perhaps you could plead a bad back.