How to Manage Repetitive Behaviors in Alzheimer's Disease

[@MelissaBPhD]

If you’d like me to talk about another topic related to Alzheimer’s disease, send me a question on the “Contact Melissa” section of melissabphd.com/contact/ and I’ll get to it as soon as I can. Thanks for listening ~ and reading!

[@rafarodrigues5343]

Thanks a lot for your explanation. I am a support worker. I have been taking care of a lady who verbalizes non stop since morning till night. Repeating same phrases non stop. I thought about the possibility she was a smoker or caffeine drinker but it is not the case. I assume that she was verbalizing so much because of change of people and place because she was in the hospital.

[@DewiiAljoe]

I learn how to be calm and patient working with my mother who has dementia

[@kathiewhite1852]

Thank you so much! My husband has dementia and pucks his arms and eyebrows to the point of blood and I have tried so many things to distract him but it's getting worse. Please keep podcasting ides to help.

[@marylinn6438]

Can you do a youtube video on Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) in dementia?

[@shyashcypert5783]

One of my mom's repetitive behavior is always wanting to check the mail and she will get very upset if I don't open the door so she can check the mailbox. This will go on all day regardless of the different distraction I try. Once she gets fixated on something, it is hard to get her focus elsewhere.

[@MelissaBPhD]

In that case, I'd use the trip to the mailbox as an opportunity for her to get in some physical activity by walking to the mailbox...but also understand that if she checks it and wants to re-check it, that would be frustrating. It sounds like an underlying anxiety driving the behavior, so I'd work with your providers to address that and see if it helps with the repetitive behavior.

[@madeleinepretorius9459]

Thank you so much.

[@DewiiAljoe]

Great video and tips

[@MelissaBPhD]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@tylerreese6205]

thank you very much. I have a friend who is unnecessarily worried about forgetting her keys. That's just the tip of the iceberg , but your link will help her and u thank you again for that.

[@NikhilSharma-sk1iu]

I don’t know about what thoughts and actions struck to me each night From a couple of nights I have found myself doing a certain kind of behaviour at midnight due to which I am unable to sleep upto like 4 am and stuff . Firstly I thought It can be completely normal Like Maybe I am just using my phone too much But this night I feel like my Behaviour is quite repetitive and I am unable to know what It is that’s happening to me. Now I am searching Like what’s making me do these repitive behaviours Like scratching my skin, drinking ice cold water, thinking about the same situation for many nights like I don’t know what’s going on. If you have any clue what it could be,I’d be highly obliged

[@gm3weber]

If we are expecting visitors, my husband wants to know what time they will come. I will tell him the time they expect to arrive. Time, though, means nothing to him. He gets very anxious as an hour or two pass and they have not arrived. I remind him of the time they are expected but he doesn’t care and starts to get very angry towards me because they are not here yet. In his mind, he has waited long enough and starts swearing and says he doesn’t care to see them because they are too late. He really gets all worked up. If I did not give him a time, I would have trouble getting to get groomed and dressed for visitors. If I don’t tell him someone is coming he has strong words for me. This never goes well. What do you suggest? He has been diagnosed with severe dementia, having vascular and hydrocephalus.

[@eimanibrahim7951]

Hi doctor My dad has a vascular dementia we’ve been losing him slowly for the past 5 years or maybe more But recently he started with a very annoying habit and he does it continuously and it’s getting hard for him too be around people because if it it’s really embarrassing He spits ,, he doesn’t care where he is and with who he would do it even when he’s sleeping it’s really an embarrassing and we are hoping hat there is a way to make him or help him to quit it Thanks for all your videos they are really insightful

[@MelissaBPhD]

If he will chew gum, sometimes that will help with spitting (just don’t try this at home the first time indoors or the gum may end up in your carpet!), or give him something with a flavor he likes to drink when he starts spitting. Another idea is that It could be related to a taste in his moth that he doesn’t like (many medications cause a metallic taste). If he can’t tell you why he’s spitting, these are just a few things I can think of that may be driving the behavior. Write down when it happens to see if you can identify a pattern and talk to his provider or pharmacist about medications to see if any of them have this listed as a side effect.

[@margaretralph617]

U

[@earlrussell1026]

You must love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. You must love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus the anointed is Lord! Repent and be baptized and believe the Gospel.

[@barnabasstoneburg7740]

So how to manipulation old people yay .

[@denyingdestruction]

is that what you think the goal is of these videos?