How to stop difficult behaviour

Catastrophe

Registered User
Feb 15, 2019
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0
Hi My first post, I care for my Dad who has altzeimers. He has locked in his mind he is freezing cold, the hotter it gets the more blankets he wraps himself in. He turns on the central heating and turns it up to 30 degrees, despite sweat running off him. The hotter he gets the more confused he gets and the more dehydrated he gets, the more he says he is cold. Any suggestions on how to break the cycle would be welcome.
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
81,442
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Kent
Welcome to dementia Talking Point @Catastrophe

I wish I could help.

I remember in weather like this when I tried to encourage my husband to sit in the garden he insisted on wearing a fleece and being covered with a blanket.

We also had the heating on at full blast.

I don`t know if it`s something to do with poorly controlled body temperature or not. I have a friend who is diabetic but doesn`t have dementia. She is always cold. My husband was diabetic too.
 

Catastrophe

Registered User
Feb 15, 2019
77
0
If he truly was cold I would not worry. But as he shows all the signs of someone who is too hot, such as his skin is warm to touch, he is sweating and his face and ears are quite red. Have checked his temperature incase its an infection, but it's fine. He just seems to not be able to differenciate between being hot or being cold. As he over heats he gets more and more confused.
 

canary

Registered User
Feb 25, 2014
25,018
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South coast
I think it is very likely that he is confusing the sensations of being hot and cold.

My OH is no longer aware of when he is tired, or hungry, hot or cold.
Its never easy
 

Batsue

Registered User
Nov 4, 2014
4,893
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Scotland
My mum has spent the heatwave wearing a fleece trousers and a fleece top, at night she slept in her clothes under a duvet and 3 huge fleece throws. Any attempt to get her to wear something cooler of remove the throws was met by extreme anger.
 

marionq

Registered User
Apr 24, 2013
6,449
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Scotland
My husband constantly complains of cold, Rubbing his hands to get warm, wrapped in a rug in his armchair, exclaiming at the "freezing" toilet seat, cold water in his glass, stainless steel cutlery.

There is definitely an excessive reaction to even mild coldness with this illness.
 

Sirena

Registered User
Feb 27, 2018
2,324
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My mother (in a care home) is always cold. Last summer during the heatwave I bought her some lightweight summer pyjamas. A few days later I visited to find her wearing a long sleeved top, thick hooded winter jumper, and sitting under a fleece blanket! Don't think those pyjamas will ever get worn.

I can see why it's so worrying for you as your father becomes overheated and dehydrated, but not sure what you can do about it. Will he accept cold drinks?
 

Rach1985

Registered User
Jun 9, 2019
412
0
My Dad lit a fire last week (in the fireplace) because he was cold. Whilst it was cooler for June it wasn’t fire lighting temperature
Sorry not got any advice just reaffirming what other have said that it does seem common in Alzheimer’s
 

Palerider

Registered User
Aug 9, 2015
4,160
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North West
Yesterday we broke down having just done a quick stop at the local. Mid day the sun beaming down, there we both were stuck in the right hand lane leading into a roundabout. Mum in her infinite wisdom had a vest, thin jumper, cardigan and coat on as she maintained she was 'cold'. A kind Polish man stopped and help me push the car to a safe place, luckily in the shade while we waited. After two hours of waiting for the RAC man to turn up she had stripped to her jumper -after some considerable persuasion and the temp reaching 31 degrees on the car thermometer.
 

Rach1985

Registered User
Jun 9, 2019
412
0
22 degrees here in Leicester today Dad just said to me it’s getting a bit chilly isn’t it. I’ve told him not to light the fire, just hope he remembers whilst I walk the dog!
 

Duggies-girl

Registered User
Sep 6, 2017
3,620
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I popped home for 20 minutes and yes when I came back dad had shut all the windows, I have since reopened them. It was the same last year in the heatwave. Baffles me.
 

Jale

Registered User
Jul 9, 2018
1,137
0
Mum always says she's cold, but she doesn't feel it, and if a window is open she always says there's a force 9 gale blowing in, but if she can't see the window open like the one at the back of her she says I don't know where it's coming from but there is a lovely breeze.

Don't know what you could apart from try and make sure that your Dad stays hydrated.
 

Palerider

Registered User
Aug 9, 2015
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56
North West
Another favourite is feeling radiators and being amazed that they are cold. "what's wrong with this radiator?". This will be during a heatwave. Mum was always one to feel the cold but as with many things, she has become alot more sensitive since dementia.

In the winter mum packs paper very methodically round the cracks in the doors to stop the draft, we often end up locked in the living room in fear of opening the door and all the packing falls out, she always talks about grandad being exactly the same -he hated a draft
 

Rach1985

Registered User
Jun 9, 2019
412
0
Another favourite is feeling radiators and being amazed that they are cold. "what's wrong with this radiator?". This will be during a heatwave. Mum was always one to feel the cold but as with many things, she has become alot more sensitive since dementia.
When you say as with many things, does this mean more sensitive to sounds also?
My dad is as deaf as a post, he had the tv volume on 82 the other day, but when the house was quiet later on and I dropped the cheese grater on the floor you would think I’d set a bomb off by his reaction to it. He genuinely jumped up in the air and made a really loud angry noise like what was that?!
 

Palerider

Registered User
Aug 9, 2015
4,160
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56
North West
When you say as with many things, does this mean more sensitive to sounds also?
My dad is as deaf as a post, he had the tv volume on 82 the other day, but when the house was quiet later on and I dropped the cheese grater on the floor you would think I’d set a bomb off by his reaction to it. He genuinely jumped up in the air and made a really loud angry noise like what was that?!

mums exactly the same....deaf on some things and fine with noise she wants...the moment there is another noise the world comes to an end
 

Palerider

Registered User
Aug 9, 2015
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56
North West
I was wondering if there is a link between dementia and the hypothalamus (part of the brain that regulates temperature) -does anyone know? Might be worth a look to see if there is a link??
 

canary

Registered User
Feb 25, 2014
25,018
0
South coast
I was wondering if there is a link between dementia and the hypothalamus
Oh yes, dementia affects every part of the brain. Different parts are affected in a different order with different types of dementia, but ultimately, every part of the brain is damaged.