Discussing Dementia: Hoarding & Rummaging

People with Alzheimer's Disease or other forms of dementia often hoard things they view as precious or rummage through their rooms. But it's a different kind of behavior than the hoarding you see on TV shows.
Chera and Linda from Kemper House - an assisted living facility that specializes in helping people with Alzheimer's and dementia - explain why people with dementia often hoard or rummage. Then they suggest ways you can manage or redirect the behavior.

[@PadawanAR]

Wow. Yup, my mother in law lives with us now, and she does this. Almost every night she rummages around in her dresser at like...3 in the morning and then goes back to sleep. She also hoards paper towels, napkins, tissues. I clean things out; she starts over. She hasn't been taking anything, but I've had to buy a new toothbrush and keep it in the bedroom because I caught her using my old one. I have to hide my hairbrush in there for the same reason. I do my best to be patient; I will confess it really annoys me when she uses my things. I just have to keep putting them elsewhere.