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@celia16 I was on Gabapentin for a short time post spine surgery. I'll mention it to the dermatologist tomorrow. Coincidentally I have my routine six month appointment with the same group. I got the impression the PCP wasn't keen on too many meds mainly because of her advanced age.
I just saw mom a couple hours ago and I was thinking about Guardianship going into the visit. She was much better today. We're trying to simplify her understanding of medication taking and reducing her risk of dehydration. She gives all the right answers but she's somehow getting foods with excessive sodium like canned vegetables which uses in soups. We removed a few cans and she thanked us and was unusually cooperative. We also set up using purified bottled water with a schedule. It seems she's been drinking too much water after taking her BP meds. Basically washing the pills out of her system. She's also been taking some fluids she found from online sources that have too much sugar and unknowns.
Finally, she was walking well and was standing while making soup. The kitchen was clean and her appetite was very good. I'll follow up later, thanks for your suggestions.
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@woojr Stepping in for a moment here - you talked about your Mom seeming better today, and appearing to follow your discussion.
When we were dealing with cognitive impairment with my father-in-law, the most helpful thing we found was concise written explanations that he could read over and over. For example, he had a colostomy, and every time red appeared in the bag he thought he was bleeding to death. His doctor provided a one page explanation of what things might cause changes in his stool - tomatoes, beets, etc. Reading that gave him great comfort, whereas telling him the same thing was met with disbelief.
With my Mom, passage of time became an issue after a stroke. We had to arrange her meds around meal times vs clock times. The same with her nebulizer. So instead of "AM pills at 9" it was "AM pills right after breakfast, followed by your nebulizer, then drink water." We also had to change the size of her water cup because she was determined to drink 3 covered cups per day, but each one was 24oz - and she was washing out her meds as well. We switched to a new 16 oz covered cup - problem solved.
What we learned was that every solution worked "for now" then we had to adjust again. The palliative care doctor introduced us to the term "slippery slope" and the need for constant flexibility. I feel, sadly, that you may be at the top of the slippery slope with your Mom - please know that many of us have been there and it is hard. Hugs!