Originally Posted by
marinkitty
Look into a pill machine if her cognitive decline isn't severe. My mom has been using one by Hero Company (looks sort of like a coffee maker, holds up to 10 meds, you can monitor it remotely by app and it's very user friendly for elderly patients with dementia). It was a life saver for us when she began to be unable to manage her own meds.
She also has in home care that comes in and helps her clean, cook, do laundry etc. and it's not super expensive ($30 an hour in a mid-cost state). Hers isn't covered by insurance but your situation may be different, but it's been within her means and well worth it to keep her independent in her home. They drive her car and take her on errands, to appointments etc. and it gives her the autonomy she desires while keeping her safe. She hasn't been able to drive for a couple of years now and that was a crushing blow to her but this made all the difference. It also made a huge difference to me in terms of managing her care from a 3-hour driving distance. I had been running up and back there all the time and now I can go once a month or for key appointments and just stay in touch by phone otherwise. Game changer.
WOW. That pill dispenser looks interesting. I finally forced my mom to use a pillbox, but at some point this could be handy.
"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, "What? You, too? I thought I was the only one." C.S. Lewis