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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Alzheimer's / April 2007what makes them rearrange things over and over?
are they bored? or just part of the disease? JJ Just part of the disease. This is just one of many things that they do that is caused by the disease. Gwen are they bored? or just part of the disease? JJ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > are they bored? or just part of the disease? > JJ You need to "think different"; they arent "rearranging things over and over". Its not the disease making them do things again and again, neither are they bored so its just something they to do to pass the time. They are just doing it once, because they havent done it before as far as they are concerned.  SignatureTumbleweed email replies not necessary but to contact use; tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com thanks I never thought of it that way before. but mom must have the cleanest trash cans in town. sometimes I think she will it out by cleaning it so much. makes you wonder where their has gone and what world are they living in? I am learning so much from everyone here thanks again JJ thanks I never thought of it that way before. but mom must have the cleanest trash cans in town. sometimes I think she will it out by cleaning it so much. makes you wonder where their has gone and what world are they living in? I am learning so much from everyone here thanks again JJ Hi JJ, it isn't just the rummaging and cleaning things they do over and over, but many things. To them it is the very first time they are doing it because they can't remember the times before. Just as an example, I gave my mother in law some face cream. This was a jar that should have lasted her for 6 months. She went through it in about a week. Finally I realized she was washing her face and creaming it over and over and over 4 or 5 times every single night! I didn't buy her any more face cream after that, and she stopped doing it. Apparently just looking at the jar was triggering the behavior. She wasn't aware she'd already done it before. -- Best Regards, Evelyn ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > thanks I never thought of it that way before. but mom must have the > cleanest trash cans in town. sometimes I think she will it out by [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Evelyn,I just have to ask why in the world you would leave her alone with face cream.Its kinda funny LOL,Barb >> thanks I never thought of it that way before. but mom must have the >> cleanest trash cans in town. sometimes I think she will it out by [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > Evelyn,I just have to ask why in the world you would leave her alone > with face cream.Its kinda funny LOL,Barb Actually, it was because she'd always put face cream on every night before bed. Always. So when she asked for some face cream, I simply gave it to her. No reason to think it was anything wrong..... Of course she wasn't harming herself with it, it was just that she couldn't remember she'd already done it. SignatureBest Regards, Evelyn > <deerwoodflo...@hotmail.com> wrote in message > [quoted text clipped - 42 lines] > > Evelyn I bet she had soft skin.LOL,Barb >> <deerwoodflo...@hotmail.com> wrote in message >> [quoted text clipped - 52 lines] > > I bet she had soft skin.LOL,Barb Even into her eighties, she had wonderful skin. She'd made a lifelong habit of washing then creaming her face every night. SignatureBest Regards, Evelyn Obsessive stuff goes with the territory. Besides doing the same things over and over again, or asking the same questions over and over, many people with AD will get into playing with things, or picking at them. By mid to later AD, you wouldn't believe what my mother in law did to clothing and the arms of her wheelchair (once she stopped walking). If there was a loose thread or some little rough patch, she would pick and worry at it endlessly until she had the thing in shreds. It was amazing how totally she could destroy something in short order if she started picking at it (i.e. she could ruin a skirt or a sweater completely in very short order, and she had the arms of her wheelchair replaced several times for picking at the pads). There are actually commercially made "busy aprons" to keep their hands occupied for those who really get into it. Here is a sample http://www.enasco.com/ProductDetail.do?sku=9712387C A lot of this stuff seems to be part of agitation behaviour - fidgeting, hand wringing, picking at clothing or skin, pacing, general restlessness are common. LOL - we'd have been HAPPY if what she did over and over was clean!!! I'd have given her the vacuum and turned her loose! Alright, I'm kidding, but at least your poor mother isn't wrecking anything. Sometimes anti-anxiety meds helps with this kind of behaviour, since it can drive the caregiver bonkers. Mary > Obsessive stuff goes with the territory. Besides doing the same things > over and over again, or asking the same questions over and over, many [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > > Mary Yes, exactly! We had a sofa with wicker arms. There was a tiny broken piece of the wicker. Ida picked and picked at it, and she had made a whole bare area! I still get crazy when I think about how she destroyed my gorgeous new stove, scraping at every tiny spot with a knife, scratching it all up. Nothing sticks to that stove that a microfiber rag can't get off. But she went at it with a paring knife and destroyed the finish. She did all of it, the rummaging, the obsessing, just all of it, poor thing. I am grateful that she is finally at peace. In fact it was just about this time of year when she died two years ago. SignatureBest Regards, Evelyn >Obsessive stuff goes with the territory. Besides doing the same things >over and over again, or asking the same questions over and over, many [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >Sometimes anti-anxiety meds helps with this kind of behaviour, since >it can drive the caregiver bonkers. You forgot to mention that this kind of behavior indicates that *the patient* is also suffering - and that's the only good reason for medicating. > You forgot to mention that this kind of behavior indicates that *the patient* > is also suffering - and that's the only good reason for medicating. Mary responds: I'm of two minds about that. Yes, the emotional well being of the person is the key reason, but I'm not so sure its the ONLY good reason for medicating - and I'm not talking about medicating to zombi-hood. The caregiver (particularly the caregiver looking after the person at home) does enter into the equation. For example, the person with AD may be perfectly happy getting up 5 times a night and wandering around, but that behaviour may push the caregiver beyond the limits of their endurance. So is a mild sleeping pill for the person with AD...or the caregiver....or, more likely...for the benefit of both in the bigger picture. Some behaviours are so hard on the caregiver that the person will have to be placed in an institution sooner than they would be. Its a see saw balance, but sometimes the health of the caregiver is as compelling a reason for certain medications as the health of the person with AD. M. >> You forgot to mention that this kind of behavior indicates that *the patient* >> is also suffering - and that's the only good reason for medicating. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] >compelling a reason for certain medications as the health of the >person with AD. I've been there and done that, I've gratefully enjoyed the respite when a new medication made my wife sleepy. It's a fine line - the well-being of the patient *does* depend on the health of the carer. Looking back, I suspect that my wife's doctors did sometimes consider my own well-being when they prescribe her meds and dosages. However, I still feel guilty about it; the better solution is to have enough carers to cope with the behavior - but, I know too well that isn't always feasible. >>> You forgot to mention that this kind of behavior indicates that *the >>> patient* [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > carers to cope with the behavior - but, I know too well that isn't always > feasible. NO Guilt allowed around here, Strobe! We all do the best we can, and I am sure you do too. It is a very tough job. Forgive yourself and keep on keeping on. I am sure that's what she'd say too, if she was in her full and right mind. SignatureBest Regards, Evelyn > Some behaviours are so hard on the caregiver that the person will have > to be placed in an institution sooner than they would be. Its a see > saw balance, but sometimes the health of the caregiver is as > compelling a reason for certain medications as the health of the > person with AD. or the safety of the caregiver, if the demented person is larger, stronger, and becomes violent. if violence that places the caregiver in danger becomes likely, the safest alternative is placement in a facility. > are they bored? or just part of the disease? > JJ > > text_html_part > 1KDownload Boy am i glad to see this brought up.My mom picks at her blanket or her chair until i could just about scream.Or is continuously trying to get up.She cannot walk by herself so thats a problem.Its like you can't but help notice it.I just get so frustrated with it sometimes.Barb > Boy am i glad to see this brought up.My mom picks at her blanket or > her chair until i could just about scream.Or is continuously trying to > get up.She cannot walk by herself so thats a problem.Its like you > can't but help notice it.I just get so frustrated with it > sometimes.Barb My mother is legally blind and can't read anything, but she still goes through the mail if I leave it out. She spent about a half hour rearranging the pages of a stock report today which I let her do because it kept her occupied and out of my way. |
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