If you can crush a pill, use a recommended method like a pill crusher or a mortar and pestle to grind the pill to a fine powder. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist how you should take the powdered drug, including which foods or beverages they can be safely mixed with.

Administering crushed medications mixed with a soft food or liquid vehicle, or via a feeding tube, is a common strategy to circumvent swallowing difficulties in patients with dysphagia.

When seniors struggle to swallow their pills or refuse to take medicine at all, it's sometimes necessary to get creative. In geriatric medicine, masking medication may be justified—especially for caregivers dealing with dementia.

Over half of all elderly people find it difficult to swallow pills and tablets. In fact, the majority of tablets in care homes are crushed by the nursing staff. Here are examples of...

To crush a pill, wet it with a few drops of water, let it soften for 5 minutes, squish it between two spoons, then mix it with something like applesauce or yogurt. 2. Address Dry Mouth. Some...

Place medication in a bowl or medicine cup with a very small amount of warm water to soften the pill. Step 4: Wait for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Step 5: Press or chop the pill with a sturdy spoon. Repeat this process several times until the pill is completely crushed. Step 6:

Many seniors have trouble swallowing pills that are a key part of their health care plan. These two proven methods make taking medications and supplements quick and easy.

Pharmacists are well suited to identify patients with dysphagia and educate patients and caregivers on when and how to safely crush and administer medication. Dysphagia is a relatively common geriatric syndrome, manifesting as difficulty or discomfort while swallowing. As pharmacists, we will encounter individuals experiencing dysphagia ...

older adults are many: physiological aging, neurological issues (stroke, Parkinson's disease), xerostomia caused by autoimmune diseases, and, most importantly, the many medications that can reduce saliva production (it is estimated that 80% of commonly used drugs can cause xerostomia by increasing the anticholinergic burden).

Crushing tablets. For medicines that are suitable for crushing, crush using a tablet crusher, crushing syringe or pestle and mortar. A crushing syringe is preferred for medicines where you must avoid environmental contamination and exposure of …