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.

Dementia Signage for the Home

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Daily Fatigue Journal (Sky Blue) Scratch Pads

 

Calendar Appointment Reminder Stickers (Red)

 

Medication Log Notepad (Sky Blue)

 

AA Fellowship Cards Business Card Templates

 

Fatigue Journal

Sleep Journal

Managing Challenging Times of the Day

Having a general daily routine when caring for your loved one with Alzheimer’s helps caregiving run smoothly. Your  routine won’t be set in stone, but it will give you and your loved one a sense of consistency, which is very beneficial to everyone.

While every family will have their own unique routine, here are some ideas for establishing routines to handle the most challenging times of day, such as evenings.

• Try to keep consistent daily times for activities such as waking up, mealtimes, bathing, dressing, receiving visitors, and bedtime. Keeping these things at the same time and place can help orientate your loved one.
• Let your loved one know what to expect even if you are not sure that he or she completely understands. Try using cues to establish the different times of day. For example, in the morning, open the curtains to let sunlight in. In the evening, put on quiet music to indicate it’s bedtime.
• Involve your loved one in daily activities as much as he or she is able. For example, your loved one may not be able to tie his or her shoes, butcould put his or her clothes in the hamper. Clipping plants outside may not be safe, but your loved one could weed, plant, or water. Use your best judgment when deciding wha'is safe and what your loved one can handle.
• If your loved one is in the early stages of the disease, you may want to keep a Daily Routine Notebook to write down routines for the morning, afternoon and evening so you and your loved one can keep organized. A Daily Routine Notebook will also help your loved one manage his or her tasks as independently as possible. In the early stages, maintaining independence is key.

Trouble Doing Bathroom Routine Independently

If your loved one is having trouble doing his or her bathroom routine by him/herself as a result of Alzheimer's related memory loss, try this:

• Put an old square cookie sheet on the bathroom counter.
• Lay your loved one's personal care items on the cookie sheet in the order they are to be used.
• Stick toiletry labels on the cookie sheet next to each item to help your loved one identify them and use them appropriately. For example, "Razor", "Shaving Cream", "Toothbrush", "Toothpaste".

Suddenly Angry

The confusion and loss of memory associated with Alzheimer's Disease can sometimes cause your loved one to lash out in anger for even the smallest or seemingly irrelevant issue. Try these tips to defuse your loved one's anger:

1. Try pausing and coming back in 5 or 10 minutes. Try saying, “Mom, I’m so sorry I misunderstood what you wanted for breakfast. I’ll be back in a few minutes to check in with you.”
2. Think about what happened right before the outburst. Can you detect a pattern to avoid in the future? If your loved one tends to get very tired in the afternoon, for example, he or she may get angry if you try to engage them in activities then. Try planning more activities in the morning and give your loved one a break in the afternoon.
3. Perhaps your loved one is experiencing pain or illness. Your loved one could have a toothache, arthritis pain, or simply be sick. Watch for sudden changes. If your usually  happy-go-lucky dad  is suddenly moody and angry, that is usually a good sign that he has a physical health issue.
4. Try talking about a favorite subject from your loved one’s life story. Talking about his or her  childhood, favorite foods, or experiences can sometimes change a bad mood into a good one.

Managing Multiple Doctor Appointments

Help your loved one remember his or her doctor appointments by using this handy Doctor's Appointment Reminder Dry Erase Board. Very helpful for those who see multiple doctors at varying dates and times during the week or month.

Hoarding

Hoarding among people with Alzheimer's Disease or Dementia can be triggered by a variety of reasons, such as trying to keep control over one's life or paranoia and a fear of being robbed. Here are a few suggestions for dealing with hoarding behavior:

• Make a list of common hiding places so when things come up missing, you have a pretty good idea of where to look.
• Try to limit hiding places by de-cluttering your loved one's home. Throw unneeded items away in an outside garbage can immediately.
• Try giving your loved one his or her own special box or tote bag to carry aroung odds and ends type items. Your loved one will feel ion control of his or her items and you will know just where to look if something turns up  missing.
• Try posting a Do Not Enter sign or Stop sign on doors that you want to keep off limits or that may bpose a danger like basement stairs.

See other Behavior Management Tools

Fidgety

Is your Alzheimer's loved one fidgety? Try putting one of these bright stickers on your loved one's hand or wrist when you need to get him or her to sit still. Very useful if your loved one won't sit still on the toilet or refuses to bathe. Try putting a sticker on the wall of the bath tub and encourage your loved one to sing while you bathe him or her. Also great for use on long car rides! You can customize this sticker and change the background color or replace the text with another song or even a spiritual verse that he or she loves. Be creative! Think positive!

You Are My Sunshine stickers