We all have those tricky folks who, for whatever reason, are a daily challenge to medicate! Please tell us about it! I'll start:
I had a woman who had to be given several pills, plus TWO Occuvites and a calcium (all huge). She was severely demented and sat quietly all day. Would spit pills crushed in applesauce out and then clam up. Her husband clued us in that she always loved mayonnaise on food. So... we mix her pills in that, and lots of it, since she has a TON of powdered pill to take. We also will take that mayo and mix that in her pureed food. Bleh! Recently we had someone from corporate do med cart checks, and was upset to find packets of mayo in there, until we explained that it was as necessary as the bowl of applesauce!
I had another gentleman who a stubborn mule, and profoundly demented. He always refused pills from me. He always seems to take them from the nurse who normally runs the floor, so last time I said sadly, "You always take pills from ______. You're going to hurt my feelings if you don't take them from me too." And it worked!
There was another woman with severe mental illness, stayed in bed all day and would scream and cry if anyone would go near her. (ADL's were a nightmare for CNA's, biting, scratching, etc.) So we'd sneak her liquid valproic acid and Paxil in her orange juice. Soon she was on to us and wouldn't drink it. But for some reason, we started pouring it on her food, like jelly on toast, or even in her breakfast burrito like salsa, and she would eat it every time! When Paxil stopped being made in liquid form, we'd crush the pill, mix it in the valproic acid, and pour.
Then there was the guy who had about 12 pills and just popped and chewed them up like they were M&M's!
