Med List

Mom got a hold of her medication list Wednesday. She asked for it. Unfortunately her primary diagnosis of, “Major neuro-cognitive disorder, probable Alzheimer’s” was written at the bottom of the list. This sent her sideways, and she left a 2-minute long voice mail for my daughter. When my daughter called her Grandma back, she explained it was a computer error. You know those computers… Mom wanted to know what each medication was for. She took notes. When my daughter called to let me know about all of this I was instructed to internalize that mom’s Alzheimer’s med is for cholesterol, and her anti-depressant if for her low-sodium…

Given the Post-it notes I saw scattered around mom’s apartment to the med-techs, instructing them to ‘just leave her meds on the counter,’ none of this surprises me. It’s her latest obsession (at least the thermostat has been forgotten for the moment!). She’s taking two more medications, regularly, than before, verses our very strong suspicion of her forgetting to, or taking too much of her meds while living independently. Having her meds passed to her, and being watched while she takes meds is also a dignity and control hit.

I suggested to my kiddo that when mom asks staff for something of this nature in the future, that she or I are contacted first. Only time will tell if there’s follow through on that request.