Shocking Dementia Symptom: When Common Objects Become Hazards!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ก.ย. 2024
- "Shocking Dementia Symptom: When Common Objects Become Hazards!" 🚨
Explore the lesser-known yet dangerous symptom of dementia known as Utilization Behavior in today's in-depth video. This condition can turn everyday items into potential dangers, creating both hazardous and awkward situations for those affected.
Join me as I delve into the complexities of this behavior, sharing insights into why and how these actions occur. We'll explore real-life scenarios that highlight the challenges faced by individuals with this symptom and discuss strategies to manage and prevent unsafe interactions.
👀 Witness firsthand the surprising ways this behavior can unfold and understand the critical steps needed for managing it effectively.
📢 Let's start a conversation-comment below if you've noticed similar behaviors or have strategies to share. Your insights are invaluable to our community!
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👩🔬 I'm Dr. Natali Edmonds, a board-certified geropsychologist. (A clinical psychologist who specializes in working with older adults.) One day, while hiking a trail, I came up with the idea for Careblazers and I decided to see if posting videos online could provide help to the many other Careblazers in the world who don’t get to have help come directly to them in their homes. I hope that this work helps you in some way on your caregiving journey.
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My husband has exhibited hypersexuality of dementia. It truly is a horrible and distressing consequence of of dementia. I found this actually more horrifying than any other symptom. Since starting on an anti depressant this has decreased dramatically, Thank God.
My father went up my stepsister's short skirt. He'd grab the boob of a nurse leaning over him to get him to roll. Yes, it's wild . He'd throw any object near him when aggravated and curse out anyone with zero filter.
Just . husband and my friend both had cans of Root Beer. My husband was drinking his and then kept reaching for hers. She kept saying that's mine this is yours. He did not understand it at all, so she just held hers in her hand
A couple years ago, my parents, my wife and I were sitting at their dining room table eating dinner. My mother with dementia couldn't figure out which food, cup, utensils were hers. "Is that my roll?" "Is that my drink?" "Which food is mine?" After repeatedly answering her questions, I finally responded in frustration, "Mom, everything in front of you is yours!" That naswer seemed to satisfy her and she stopped asking questions. Two years later, she can't speak coherently, is double-incontinent, can't walk, sleeps 23 hours a day and has to be spoon fed.
My husband was properly diagnosed at the age of 67 with Alzheimers Dementia in 2022.
But I believe he was actually in the early stage for 2 years before that. It was only properly diagnosed after he got GCA. He is starting to wear my clothes is that normal.
My husband did and said inappropriate things routinely. I had business cards printed: "My Companion has Memory Issues, Please Be Patient, Thank You." I would surreptitiously hand those cards to restaurant servers, grocery clerks, even strangers in the check-out line when my husband would bolt to the front of the line. Those receivers of the cards were supportive and patient. Today, having two support groups in my community, I give several cards to everyone in the group. They have had compassionate responses when they have used them. I don't expect the card to be handed back to me; rather I would like to have the receiver keep it and reflect on the situation when they happen to notice it later.
That is so proactive and so thoughtful of your husband and other people! And that little card is so educational too, helping people understand and reflect back on what dementia is. You’re awesome!
Very smart and kind
I just love this idea! Thank you❤
@@MarySmith-ry9cu I testified before the Health Care and Wellness Committee in the House of Representatives in Washington State on February 3, 2016, with support from the Alzheimer's Association and the Elder Care Alliance. My cards are purple, the Alzheimer's color, with white text. Our story is written in my book, "The Thief Came in the Night."
I called it mental meltdowns. I had to hide knives, scissors, and anything that could be thrown at me and hurt me. My husband and I were married for 34 years. He would say embarrassing things to the server. I'd like you to do a video on violence because my husband became extremely aggressive and volatile. I had to leave my house (where I lived since 1992) because my life was in danger. He was a danger to himself as well as to me. I expressed this to his family over and over again. They never stepped in to help. I even wrote a two-page letter to his doctor, made numerous phone calls to his doctors, and no one believed what I was saying. I was ignored for years. The only time his family stepped up to the plate to help HIM was when I left our home.
So sorry you had to go through that and hopefully you have access to some counselling
Violence is actually common for dimentia!
I am so sorry you had to go through this. My mom lives in another city. I am disabled. I don't know what to do.
My loved one became quite disinhibited and sexually inappropriate, which was quite shocking to us. We wondered about behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia. I would appreciate it if you could do a video on this. To see these behaviours is so distressing to family, and often there is disgust and consequences for the person rather than compassion and genuine help.
Yes, please do a video about this
thanks for the video suggestion. An in-depth video on behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia is a great idea. In the meantime, here are a couple videos we have on frontotemporal dementia you may find helpful:
th-cam.com/video/oKurhSgchww/w-d-xo.htmlsi=UFeKF4jQfamP0rLr
th-cam.com/video/0T8FPrM0R7Q/w-d-xo.htmlsi=NVXXiBhnK3S95QG7
super interesting how young children and toddlers display utilization behaviour as well as people with dementia. the amount of parallels like this are why i personally feel like dementia almost turns the person back into a child in a way.
Like the brain aging backwards.
I’m seeing this with my mom who doesn’t have dementia, but is fighting terminal brain cancer, progressing quickly. Lots of similarities to dementia I’m seeing. It’s sad watching someone who was so strong your whole life lose so much.
Yes, when Natali was talking about removing dangerous objects in a person with dementia's environment, I thought about how parents have to "baby-proof" their homes in the same manner!
That is so true! I feel that way about my mom as I take care of her. Sadly, the roles have reversed.
🤔
Our last family wedding my husband said out loud who is that guy?! Why is he talking so much!!??
It was the father of the bride giving a toast telling a lovely story about his daughter and new son in law
Not dangerous but the looks from the other guests were hard.
In many ways, dementia afflicts those who don't have dementia. We all suffer!
@@culturematters4157 So true! Thank you.
One day my mom & I were waiting to checkout at a store, there was a lady in the line with a few young children. When one of her kids started crying my mom got so irritated she made a rude comment out loud. The lady apologized & asked her older kid to walk off with the one that was upset. I felt so awkward.
we're all going to learn and accept a lot more of this as the population continues to age.
True.
I've commented before a few times. But I still feel the need to tell you how important you are. I've directed many people to you. (Leading a horse to water) Mom departed in 2019 and I still watch your videos. When she was here, you really helped me understand some/a lot of the situations she was going through as well as myself. I continue to watch for the education and find myself applying your lessons to my life post departure. Just had to once again say... thank you.❤
Be blessed....always.
My dad’s latest obsessive behaviours are with cords.
Phone cords, cpap tubing, pacemaker cords, any type of cord he came across, he would wrap extremely tight around his neck. H
And continue pulling. This stage lasted about 4 months.
Just lately now he has suddenly stopped. But now he seems to have zero thought process.
Memory line is about 1 minute long, if that long. He has stopped talking altogether now. Didn’t recognize me the other day. He is getting moved to a closer room to the nursing station because he is getting so weak. He falls with his walker.
It’s his “empty eyes” that completely unravel me. 😢
I don’t want to lose him, but this poor man is not happy. I pray now that his angel’s carry him to the other side back to be with my mom.
I remember my Mom grabbing the nearest coffee cup and drinking whatever was in it. Fortunately, she was often with people who understood and we were able to sort things out. We just figured it was part of her Alzheimer's and moved along. We also baby-proofed everything wherever she went - I thought of this as her "Toddler" years - she was so much like a toddler with low to no impulse control.
My Dad does this… He had a complete 180* personality shift…. he picks up every knife and fork and checks it’s sharpness with his thumb…even on someone else’s table at a restaurant.. nails, screws, stabs pens through the couch, focuses on women’s butts and boobs and makes inappropriate remarks loud enough for them to hear .. says rude things about men too.. Fear is having your 90 year old father call a group of 1% bikers “Panzies” and “Scumbags” to their faces while you run in to pay for the gas… Try and diffuse that without sounding condescending to a dementia addled guy who won’t accept his limitations. It is like having a 3 year old kid with ODD… 88 years as a pacifist, now he says “Wanna Fight?” To half the people he meets.
Part of the problem is that he doesn’t look old enough to have these issues.. he might be 90, but he looks like he is in his 60’s. .
My son's father is only 70 started showing signs of dementia a few years ago!!! Looks or age don't matter!!!???
I don't care if I act condescending, I have to treat my spouse like I am his mother and he is two because that is reality! No way to caregiver and keep him safe otherwise.
Lots of these comments ring true for me with my husband, it's good to get everyone's journey with this terribly sad thing happening to our loved ones. Love to all the carers out there
💖💖💖
Yes, my mom absolutely has it. She is attached to tissue and napkins as metal to a magnet. Also, the other day, she picked up a spoon to color her book instead of a coloring pencil.
My mom has to have a wad of tissues clutched in her hand at all times. She also uses eating utensils incorrectly such as trying to eat soup with a fork or peas with a bread knife. She wants to touch and handle everything she sees and if there is a door or drawer she is compelled to look inside. If you try to divert her attention to a more appropriate activity she gets agitated.
MWFTD is compulsive about picking flowers, can't stop herself. Picks the flowers out of landscaping and pots at church, restaurants, businesses, homes, etc. In the winter she picks leaves or branches. She sneaks it because I guess she knows somehow she shouldn't do it. ?? Also, is compulsive about taking and collecting the tabs from the tops of soda cans. Will take it off of other people's soda, usually just ours or visitors in the house, thankfully, not strangers. Previously, she was compulsive about cutting the tags off of everything - towels, sheets, blankets, throw pillows, clothes. Anything with a tag, hers or not. Thankfully, she quit that. Also, can't pass up a lid, saves all plastic lids. Sometimes if it is a "good" lid she will take it off before the item is empty. Multiple other items she likes to take/collect. Aside from the taking, she wants to give. She writes notes and gives them to everyone she comes in contact with. Notes by the thousands in the past 4 years. Some are well received, some are not. :( It is difficult, I don't always have the chance to tell people she has dementia. It makes me very sad when people are rude to her.
This is very similar to my mom. Thank you for sharing. Sending lots of love.
@@trishapimenidis1450 Thank you Trisha, it is comforting to know I'm not alone. Sending love back to you
My husband played with a ladies ponytail when we were in the store, I had friends over, he took the entire bowl of salsa and cream cheese and ate them, he took their belongings and refused to give them back.He would stop people outdoors and tell them to look in the sky and ask if they could see it, 😢. Most people were nice but a few gave him looks that scared me. He just passed on the 18th from this awful, horrible disease! I miss him but not him with the disease.
So sorry for your loss. Sending you so much love and strength 💖
My husband's dementia has progressed, but he did take food off of others plates, or even took their whole plate and start eating their food. He would go to bed for a couple of hours in the evening and wake up after two hours and thought it was the next day and started taking his daily pills again....thinking it was the next day.
I took charge of spouse's pills as soon as doctor prescribed an antidepressant. LIke everything, he hates me controlling that but I knew it would be worse to let him try to take meds, then take them away from him. I hide them, and give him his pill daily. Too serious to chance his memory, and I would never know what he took or did not otherwise. I also watch him swallow it now, because if not, he sometimes would drop it and it could harm my dog, if eaten.
Using a sledgehammer to hammer a shovel into the ground. Putting a clothes basket back in its place, then getting clothes out of the dryer taking 3 trips back and forth to the bedroom dropping many items along the way. Washing hands by first putting liquid soap on them and rinsing off immediately but still washing (or rinsing I should say) 30 seconds later. Stirring coffee after every sip and not a quick stir, a 15 second process that I have counted a twenty stir process every time. Is this any symptom of utilization behavior or is it a symptom of something else? These things started many years ago, but have increased as of late. Evaluation isn't available until Sept. I have another in the household that I am caregiver to after a stroke and diagnosed vascular dementia. Am I crazy to think I can manage both when one right now is close to my limitations?
One is more than a handful😢
One person with dementia becomes too much for any given person. You can't watch them 24 hours a day, seven days a week!
I know your feelings on this. Both my parents in their 80s have dementia and are incontenent. There are days I wonder if one person caring for them will be enough. I have caregivers that come three times a week but they spend most of their time making sure mom isn’t running off and taking them to the bathroom. Mom is mobile, Dad needs assistance every time he wants to get up. As in the meal planning, cooking, cleaning and serving. In the meantime my home is falling into disrepair and an 11 hour drive away. I’ve been helping them for a year. How much is too much? I want to honor my parents. 😢 God give us wisdom and strength.
@@knogues Sometimes, caretakers die before the ones with dementia.
My wife has this. When we are out she wants to hug everyone or stop and talk to them.
My mum eats direct from smorgasbords in food courts … tips tea over by head at cafes … laughs at people with disabilities… in full time care now and I visit often x thanks for advice your tips been so helpful
Dr. Natali, Thank you for the very informative video. I look forward to your future video about the frontal lobes of the brain and executive function.
I've heard that this symptom is most common in Frontotemporal Dementia.
indeed he does. he has a shoe obsession any shoes he sees he puts on (or tries to put on), even over the top of his shoes. Sometimes tries to rinse his toothbrush in the toilet so has to be monitored very carefully. Thank you for explaining this inexplicable behavior
My husband tears paper towels off the roll and stacks them. I now keep the rolls in the cabinet. It’s like out of sight out of mind.
My mother, when she was still mobile, would compulsively stack tissues on her walker.
My mom likes to have stacks & stacks of toilet paper on the bathroom counter. I finally started hiding the extra rolls. She also has a thing about napkins & tissues. When I make her bed every morning I find several tissues under her pillow & in the sheets. I also find them tucked in the couch cushions.
I'm not sure this is an example but one of the last times I visited my mom at the nursing home she handed me her bottle of mouth wash. She couldn't remember what it was for or how to use it. She seemed nervous around this object and wanted me to take the mouth wash away. She couldn't tell me if it was something to drink or not (like a juice) and that upset her. I took it home and she's never mentioned it again.
I find it very difficult to distinguish which of my moms behavior isn't just her ADHD and what is dementia. Sometimes she's like a little hyperactive boy. Distracted by every item in the room, by every sound and by every thought she has. Things got strange when she started to use the objects absolutely inappropriate.. Thank you so much for your education. It helps us so much.
Our Mom has been exhibiting unrestrained socially unacceptable behavior for some time now. One of the funniest, but "dangerous" episodes was in the grill area of the country club where a voluptuous server had Mom wondering if her boobs were real. The next time the server came to the table, Mom suddenly reached up and gave one a good squeeze!! The server was so shocked that she only reacted with a wide-eyed expression on her face! 😳
She is also now being verbally abusive to other female residents of the memory care facility where we moved her in February, and making periodic attempts to entice the male residents to "partake of her assets...". Needless to say, this is all so out of character for her, a former Sunday School teacher in the Baptist Church!!
Her Dr. started her on 12.5mg of Seroquel about a week ago, and we are hopeful that this will improve her bizarre behavior.
OMG I'm so glad to know there's a name for this. I had to hide medications a year and a half ago. I had to hide my own toothbrushes because he couldn't resist using mine on my side of the sink. I don't bring him home (he's now in assisted living) because he wanders through the condo picking things up. Latest (when our son was here so I let him come in) was my dental night splint, although he has his own in his bathroom at the facility. On the less dangerous side, he has lost all ability to understand sweets and meals. He will eat dessert or a meal whenever it is presented. Hunger no longer applies. He will also talk to anyone, sometimes inappropriately. This is frontal lobe? Interesting. He has an Alzheimer's diagnosis as of a year and a half ago. He lost executive functioning ten years ago. Long, frustrating journey.
Yes, I am starting to notice signs of this type of behavior. She speaks / comments outloud - often, too loudly - while in public, during conversations going on around us.
Important info!
My husband who is 63 has bvFTD with aggression. This video explains a lot, especially since his frontal lobes are affective with the disease. He is in assisted living memory care the last 4 months and the workers say sometimes when he does come out of his room and heads to their nurse station/desk area he will pick up their drinks (soda) and sometimes even food. This is definitely what he has, utilization behavior. This was very helpful and useful for me. Thank you f9r sharing. ❤
So glad to hear the video was helpful and useful for you. Sending love 💖
Have been observing this in my WWD for about a year now - just didn't know it had a name! Fortunately, most people we go out with or have contact with know what our situation is, so they are very understanding. Probably most "humorous" episode was at a nice dinner out last December with another couple. My WWD finished her glass of wine fairly quickly, and soon after reached for mine. That didn't work, so she went around the table reaching for our friends' glasses (also without success). She earned herself the nickname "wine thief" that night. So far nothing dangerous, but good reminder to be on the alert for when this might turn more serious. I also keep a small supply of courtesy cards handy, and they have come in handy with people who are not aware of her condition.
Late last year, I found myself facing my dad wielding a nailgun we had in it's case near our kitchen. I hadn't thought of it as a weapon, but he was definitely using it as that. After I diffused his anger (was about me locking the fridge to try to keep him away from ice cream which he east excessively), I removed the threat of the nailgun by removing the nails, battery, and fuel and storing them securely. Also checked for anything else that could be used in that way.
His meds have definitely helped me avoid situations where he picks up objects as weapons, but it hasn't eliminated the possibility that he will get that angry. I have been working with MY anger therapist about ways to diffuse situations, and she has definitely helped in that regard. We no longer get in heated arguments over him having ice cream. He still hits ice cream pretty hard but I can sometimes get him to take just one instead of taking multiple just by approaching the situation differently.
I also do keep an eye on him, as I'm not with him all the time. I keep a camera on him as he sits in his chair in the living room. He lets me have that as it also has a view of he front door, so it's for our house security.
I think he's had moments of that symptom, but it's not something I see regularly. For your reference, he has been diagnosed with FTD.
Two other options with the compulsive ice cream eating:
1) Let him eat as much as he wants. He'll get to the point where he can't feed himself eventually.
2) Stop buying ice cream.
Very enlightening! I've never heard this description before but this is something my husband who's living with frontal temporal degeneration, has done
for years. You explain it so well; I recognize this condition going back years, even decades. I especially relate to the example in the workplace, saying inappropriate things. I've often wondered if the multiple job losses he suffered over the years were really due to brain changes we didn't yet recognize.
Thanks for sharing. Glad the video was helpful 💖
My mom helps herself to other peoples food in restaurants..😢
My wife has Early (young) Onset Alzheimer's. Her Mother is in hospice dying from Alzheimer's. Do you have any advice for caregivers to help them when their loved one has to deal with their parents passing?
I would love to know why my mom is always so loud.
She yells, can't understand anything that she says on top of what can you do to help with this?
My Mom was starting to do this at the table in the months before she left us. Nothing major - for example she would reach for almost anything that was flat to wipe her mouth (rip a page out of a nearby catalogue even, we had to keep the napkin out of site b/c she would wipe her tongue). Also she would pour her juice into her meals on occasion. She has a beautiful amethyst crystal she loved to hold and gaze upon - sometimes she would put it in her mouth. There was no drama around these instances, we'd giggle a little together and move on. Just kept an eye on her.💜
My sister with Early Onset Alzheimer's Dementia has this issue.
Im wondering if another behavior that she has developed - any time she is in her room at the Assisted Living Facility, she is naked!!! She has windows and a glass door to her little patio, which is concerning.
Any suggestions?
Spray frost on her glass door? You know, like what people do around Christmas?
Mom uses her electric toothbrush then tries to use it to get the toothpaste off of her chin then will try to use it to clean the sink. Lots of distract and swap in our home.
My mom stirred pasta sauce with the dish scrubber,cancel dinner,
I followed you while my seriously ill 82-yr-old wife was still on her feet with my help. We slept in the living room, she on the loveseat and I on the sofa. She woke me up one night, standing over me with this maniacal look on her face, holding the small wooden candle holder over her head. I barely had time to say, "Don't do that!" when she hit me on the side of my head, breaking the candle holder. Fortunately, no damage to me. After that, I began to worry about what weapon she might use next. How was I to tether her on her side of the room? Very shortly thereafter, she became too weak to move with my help and spent her last seven months in a hospital bed under hospice care in our living room.
Whoa.... Once too weak and in a hospital bed in the living room is my father is doing now .
For example brushing the mirror when I handed my client a hairbrush, then gently guiding the brush to their head. A bit backwards.
Or grabbing 'food items' - a client picked up a yougert cup and bit into it, completely unaware they were biting & chewing on a yogurt cup.
I think my husband maybe has this Utilization behavior. He picks up a broom and cleans the table's and counter tops at the Nursing Home with it. He thinks he is helping them out but they yell at him for doing this. He likes to help clean everything.
I wish I could refer to it as shocking. Unfortunately it's a daily behavior that builds up slowly and just becomes the norm
When my husband picks up deodorant or shaving cream to brush his teeth. Is that such behavior?
My brother has been putting EVERYTHING down the toilet, including his blankets and pillow! Has anyone had this experience? The nurses are at their wits end.
By God's Grace I have not witnessed this in my husband who has dementia. My heart goes out to all of you struggling with this problem with your loved one.
♥Thank you!
Ate the toothpaste off the toothbrush instead of brushing teeth, tried to tear the pee pad and use it as a paper towel instead of the paper towel right there. She's also given her self a UTI wiping the wrong way. And cannot seem to grasp what I am telling her about why we can't do these things. Thank you for this video this behavior started today and now I know what exactly is happening and I can be compassionate and careful in the correct way. Is there anything we can do to slow the progression of this. She just got home from the hospital Thursday and she has declined rapidly over the last week. The last time she declined was November, she was stable at her new normally until a crazy asymptomatic UTI hit. And now she is almost done with the antibiotic and she is in rapid decline. I am very worried.
Infection can have that impact. I am so sorry.
The last time my mother with advanced dementia had the flu, she couldn't be wakened and was given one week to live. She recovered and is still alive, four months later!
It seems like any change will send my husband off the rails. During a recent hospital stay I saw dementia at it's worst behavior. Once I got him home and comfortable, his rage subsided. All I could do is thinking how sad it must have been for him to not understand.
Your tips are always so helpful as an insight to why our PWD's do what they do. What I have learnt from you has made such a huge difference to how I relate to, and manage my LO, and consequently I feel we have a considerably more stress-free life than it would otherwise have been.
So glad to hear this! Sending love 💖
Thanks for sending us love, Natali. Right back at ya! 😄
In Feb. we had a home improvement project going on. It wasn't done correctly by the contractors, causing us to have to call them back to make it right. This added stress caused my husband to over medicate. For years he has used the 7 day pill box, so he wouldn't do such a thing. Yet he was so stressed over it that he lost tract of what day it was and gobbled up pills. I kept an eye on his pill box for about a month after that. He straightened out on his own.
He also likes to make phonecalls. I cringe at times hearing some of his responses. He has been getting short with people on the other end, I am hearing him say that isn't what I meant to say, in a cross voice. He didn't use to be short/rude with people. He was raised with good manners so to see him like this bothers me.
We live alone and no kids. Some days I am at wits end. I would benefit from joining some sort of a support group. They used to have one here in town yet it disbanded. I don't do Facebook, or I would join up with you.
Hi, You can find great support groups created by Dr. Natali by signing up for the Dementia Careblazer's Care Course. This is not on Facebook. It is on a closed Circle group. At. 6:37 on this video, Dr. Natali talks about the Care Collective that you also have access to if you join the Care Course. I have found the courses, additional professionals and the support groups very helpful. Good luck in finding the support you need!
@@DanaLong-e1g Thanks kindly for your reply. And for putting a time stamp for this video. So many things going on in the homefront now. Yet I gotta be working in some support for myself. Thanks again!
My can't use utensils that same way anymore and she ends up using the knife as a fork.
Yes, I think my husband has this. He also copies what I say when I ask him a question instead of answering it. I care for him alone so I’m constantly moving things that are dangerous. He’s also bed bound due to a physical disability so it makes caring for him is even more challenging. Although he’s been bed bound for three months, but he’s just realised that he can’t walk. Thank you for all of your videos. They are very helpful. - Dawn 🌅
Sending you love 💖
Q-TIPS ! My spouse was jamming one in his ear to see if his ear was "still bleeding" while it was the Q-tip being jammed in that caused it to bleed. I hid all Q-tips. Anytime I say "Be. Careful" about anything, he screams " Dont tell me how to do what I know how to do." Or "Quit trying to control me" then he cusses me out. That is his favorite past-time.
My mother in law was a gardener. She found some artificial roses and is tenderly caring for them. As well as some dead pine branches from Christmas. What is this behavior called? Thank you.
I haven't seen this behavior in my lowd.
Thanks for your wonderful dementia series. I helped my mom who died with Alzheimer’s 10 years ago and now my husband has it. Sadly we both know a little more than we want to about where this will end. We both say “today is our best day” because we know what’s ahead. Could you do a video covering how the LO with dementia copes with this knowledge and how to talk w him about it? There is so much out there on the caregiver and on symptom management but I don’t find much on the fear and anxiety of the patient. Thanks again.
My mother finds books and takes them to read. However, she can't remember what the book is about the next day or even a few hours later. She uses multiple bookmarks in a single book. We have books and magazines all over the house because our family has always been readers and book collectors. Mom will finally give up on a book and, when left alone, will search all over for a new book or magazine to start reading. Would that be an example for this condition?
Just wanted you to know my husband passed 5/20/24. I thank you for everything I did learn watching your videos. Wish I learned it sooner that he would have been home with me.
So sorry for your loss. Sending you love and strength 💖
My husband who has PDD does have some of the symptoms that you mentioned He might pick up his hairbrush and try and brush his teeth with it or vice versa use his toothbrush for a hairbrush. He might use a piece of silverware in a restaurant and pretend to eat a picture on the menu. I don’t think he’s pretending 😊Before we moved into assisted living, I got rid of lots of tools, yard tools, I locked up meds, etc
My spouse was getting a dirty spoon from the sink to use instead of using clean ones. Using three knives to make his sandwich--One to spread dressing, one to cut it in half, etc. i try to keep him out of the kitchen and no longer eat anything he has touched. He would run cold water on a spoon, then say he washed it, and put it with the clean dishes. .
I haven’t witnessed this behavior with my loved one.
Thank you again Dr. Natali, you have just cleared up for me the bewildered actions that my Joyce does occasionally. I thought at times she just wanted to bring laughter which she loves but this utilization behavior sounds more like the actual results of her behavior. She has a great tendency to grab someone's butt when she puts her arms around a person as a greeting. It doesn't matter if its a women or man. I have been just accepting it for years thinking it is just her way. That is one example. Another one in the past few months is when you put a picture to be colored or a book that has pictures to be colored, it is like she can't stop. I have noticed that in the past few months she can no longer tell colors, but she denies this. Today, I tried to reconfirm to her she can't because we were at the senior center and got into a game of corn toss. You have only two colors of beanbags, and I had to keep telling her to give the other color back to her opponent. What was sort of funny yet sad is that her opponent also has Alzheimer's but not like my Joyce. The opponent started to grab the color from her and Joyce was find with that. When I tell her to use this color for this number I am doing nothing more the bringing frustrated stress upon myself because she just can not comprehend that instruction. Another prim example is when she see a Brum or a vacuum cleaner she just has to start cleaning and doesn't wan to stop. I allow her to do it so she gets tired and eventually she does. I don't remember if I told you her nick name I gave her is ground hog, because when it nice outside she can spend hours just down on her hands an knees picking out weeds or crab grass. I tell her to stop and she say I love doing this why do I have to stop. No matter what logical reason I give her the brain just doesn't comprehend. Any wise and great suggest my dear?
Wow .. she's just coloring, cleaning and pulling weeds? Can't tell colors apart? This is easy ... You let her and grab her some gloves and sun lotion. Clean and color with her.
When the phone rings, mom answers with the tv remote. I keep baby wipes beside the toilet for her to clean herself as per her doctor due to incontinence issues and bathing problems…she used disinfectant bathroom wipes and we ended up at the doctors….just a couple of examples
The phone rang in my parents' apartment and my mother with dementia picked up a cookie and said, "Hello?" An amusing snippet in the nightmare that is dementia.
Gracias, Doctora :)
My Dad does this… He had a complete 180* personality shift…. he picks up every knife and fork and checks it’s sharpness with his thumb…even on someone else’s table at a restaurant.. nails, screws, stabs pens through the couch, focuses on women’s butts and boobs and makes inappropriate remarks loud enough for them to hear .. says rude things about men too.. Fear is having your 90 year old father call a group of 1% bikers “Panzies” and “Scumbags” to their faces while you run in to pay for the gas… Try and diffuse that without sounding condescending to a dementia addled guy who won’t accept his limitations. It is like having a 3 year old kid with ODD… 88 years as a pacifist, now he says “Wanna Fight?” To half the people he meets.
Part of the problem is that he doesn’t look old enough to have these issues.. he might be 90, but he looks like he is in his 60’s. .
Very difficult situation, to be sure!
My dad, would take any drink that is in front of him and drink it. ☹️
My mom steals and hides everything she likes (?) or else thinks its her stuff, more likely. In any case, every time she's at my place, we have to check on her. Needless to say, she always manages to sneak something, which I will someday find in one of her closets/drawers. I do not think this is the case of your video, so could you please explain all this in another video, please? Love. Thank you 🤗
Hi there! thanks for your comment. Here is a related video you may find helpful: th-cam.com/video/vPZVa-AEKtc/w-d-xo.html
I am always concerned that upon hearing of these symptoms, caregivers will be prone to isolating th individual. They still need socialization.
Absolutely HELPFUL & TRUTHFUL! 👏🏻👏🏻
Yea my dad will rummage through the fridge and just start opening different containers and drinking out of them…..so over time I have made sure there is nothing there that would cause harm.
Also would take the hot sauce on the table and turn it up too, took it off the table……
THankyou so much for this insight! It makes many small things more understandable! My Mum maybe has this a little bit ? She has, for a couple of years, picked up shiny objects off the pavement & put them in her bag like treasures. Little bits of discarded rubbish. She also has started to hoard things like the ties off the bread bags, old magazines and gets so angry if i try to do a clean up. One of our friends has just recently had a bout of temporary amnesia where he 'reset' almost every 15 minutes during a 12-18 hour period of time. It really scared him at the time (each time he 'reset') so that has been a massive insight to how Mum must feel when she is in places other than her home as her short term memory 'resets' approx every 15-30 minutes. She refuses to go out most of the time and i presume this is the reason why. Her intuition must be tellng her it is confusing & scary out of her place.
Utilization behavior. Is this when my husband puts odd things in his whiskey drink such as half n half, sardines, ham n cheese. He drinks it that way as if nothing is wrong.
I think my father might have it slightly. One example is when I was in a store with him, and he saw a special type of candy bar he liked, he just picked it up and started eating it. He didn't understand he had to pay for it.
My mom has used objects for the wrong purpose, but not usually. For example, she wanted to answer the phone and she picked up the remote control instead of the phone. Another time she thought she was making a phone call by pressing the button on her blood pressure cuff. But usually she still knows a toothbrush is for brushing teeth, a fork is to eat with etc, and she doesn't pick up things that don't belong to her.
This is very good info, yes I've seen this realized lo didn't read label, also a mix of food combo.
Whenever my mother sees a very tall person she has to go up to them to tell them how tall they are and comment how short she is and has to stand next to them posing and saying outloud look, look how tall he/she is🤦
Yes my husband has taken medication that wasn't his because it was on the counter.
It’s mild and intermittent at this point
So helpful. Thank you
Thank you for this amazing information, thankfully this is not something that we are seeing right now but because of this channel I will recognize it.
💖