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• How to reassure them while preserving your equilibrium
Note: This article has been localised for an Irish audience. People with Alzheimer's disease often act as if their minds are caught in an endless tape loop. They may ask the same question 20 times in an afternoon, pace a stretch of floor for hours, or hum a tune that never seems to run out of verses. Many have a condition called echolalia, in which the patient repeats words endlessly or echoes a phrase. If you're caring for someone with the disease, this sort of thing may make you feel like crying or tearing your hair. It's important to know that your loved one isn't trying to annoy you or push you to breaking point. A continually repeated question, for instance, doesn't mean that he or she isn't listening to the answer. In the later stages of the disease, damage to the memory may be so severe that the sufferer will not even remember asking the question. Through these words and actions, the person with Alzheimer's may also be expressing a specific concern, asking for help, or coping with frustration in the only way he or she knows. By understanding the reasons behind repetitive behaviour, you can help provide comfort while preserving your own sanity. How to reassure them while preserving your equilibrium If your loved one constantly asks who you are or keeps asking for a long-dead friend or spouse, it may be out of worry that there's nobody to care for him or her. By the same token, repeated questions about the next doctor's appointment may mean that he or she has health concerns or is afraid of the doctor. Instead of answering such questions every time they're asked, reply with words of comfort. When your loved one wants to know who you are, say in a calm soothing voice that everything is fine, that you're there and will take care of him. Add that there will be plenty of food tonight and that he or she is fortunate to have such a great doctor. If words don't help, you may be able to ease his fears by putting on music, giving a shoulder massage, taking a walk outside, or another pleasant diversion. Your loved one might have other reasons for saying the same things over and over. Again, a few reassuring words or a little redirection might help. Sometimes, of course, repeated questions may not stop despite your best efforts. Other forms of repetitive behaviour are often just as frustrating as non-stop questions. Indeed, it can be heart-wrenching to see a formerly gifted, accomplished person spend the afternoon pacing the kitchen or folding the same towel. He or she may even walk into a corner and, unable to turn around, keep marching in place. But with gentle reassurance and guidance, you can help break this pattern of behaviour. Instead of saying, "Stop walking around the kitchen," you might ask if he or she would like to sit down and look at pictures in the living room. Or you might also suggest that the two of you walk outdoors. But – very important – you should also ask yourself if the behaviour really needs to be stopped. Your loved one may feel competent and helpful when he or she is folding that towel 50 times, and the towel won't mind, either. Here are other strategies to help you cope with repetitive behaviour: • Look for patterns. Keep a log to determine if the behaviour occurs at a certain time of day or night, or whether particular people or events seem to trigger it. |
| •Keep track so you can tell whether your loved one might be hungry, cold, tired, in pain, or in need of a trip to the bathroom. |
| •Check with the doctor to make sure your loved one isn't suffering from pain or the side effects of medication. |
| •Speak slowly and wait for your loved one to respond. |
| •Don't point out that he or she just asked the same question. |
| •Distract him or her with a favourite activity. |
| •Use signs, notes and calendars to help decrease anxiety and uncertainty. In the early stages of Alzheimer's, when your loved one can still read, he or she may not need to ask about dinner if a note on the table says, "Dinner is at 6:30 p.m." |
Talking with friends, a counsellor, or a support group about your grief and frustration at the damage caused by Alzheimer's also leaves you free to cope with its reality and to cherish your loved one as he or she is.
Resources Alzheimer Society of Ireland
Alzheimer House
43 Northumberland Road
Dun Laoghaire
Co Dublin
Telephone 01 284 6616
Fax 01 284 6030 Alzheimer National Helpline 1800 341341
www. alzheimer.ie West of Ireland Alzheimer Foundation
Main Street
Ballindine
Co Mayo
Telephone 094 936 4900
Fax 094 936 4946
www.westernalzheimer.ie Alzheimer Support Group / Dementia Support Group
Highfield Hospital Group
Swords Road
Whitehall
Dublin 9
Telephone 01 837 4444
Fax 01 837 9013
www.highfieldhospital.com This article has been revised by Vhihealthe for its audience and may contain, among other things, information or medical practices that are unique to Ireland. Neither Consumer Health Interactive nor the original author make any warranty as to the accuracy of the article as revised, and assume no responsibility for modified content.
First published May 18, 2004
Last updated July 26, 2006
Copyright © 2004 Consumer Health Interactive
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