The Alzheimer's Digest: Odd Repetitive Behaviors

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Odd Repetitive Behaviors

Does your Mom keep taking everything out of her purse and putting it back in?

Or perhaps your Dad constantly checks to see if the door is locked, empty or rearrange his wallet, pack and repack clothing, etc.

These odd behaviors are all anxiety-related. Your loved one knows he or she has something important to remember but has forgotten what it was ... and this causes his or her repetitive behaviors.

Here are some suggestions for dealing with these odd repetitive behaviors:

Try ignoring the behavior if it's pretty harmless to your loved one or others.
Try to avoid telling your loved one to stop doing the behavior. This may make him or her more anxious or stressed. The behavior may stop after a while if it's not encouraged in some way.
Try to help your loved one cope with his or her anxiety in positive ways. You might try engaging them in a game of cards or a walk in the park. Try to use a calm and gentle tone of voice to ease your loved one's anxiousness.
Give your loved one reminder notes or write them on a marker board where he or she will see it throughout the day. You may also want to post room signs to ease his or her confusion about where he or she is. Labeling frequently used items may also help lessen confusion and disorientation.