My Mum has started constantly picking. Picking her nose, picking about in her teeth, under her nails, picking at scabs (her arms are bad where she's picked at them and made them bleed). It drives me mad as she does it when she comes to my house and whatever she picks she flicks on the floor. I know I sound awful/she can't help it/I should just ignore it, but it's not nice and makes me feel ill. Do I just have to get on with it? Is this a phase that will pass?
Picking, picking, picking
- Thread starter babystar
- Start date
Oh dear sounds awful babystar have you tried giving her something to do with her hands like a furry toy to stroke or one of those activity aprons,
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=a...v&sa=X&ei=F1QhVM73CY6f7gbEuoGoCw&ved=0CCkQsAQ
there is a couple of threads here that might have some ideas for you
http://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/showthread.php?73857-Picking-at-spots-etc.
http://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/showthread.php?71818-Picking-at-arms
I just remembered someone told me about these tangle toys for people who like fiddling on with things
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb...words=tangle toys&sprefix=tangle+toys,aps,240
Best wishes Jeany x
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=a...v&sa=X&ei=F1QhVM73CY6f7gbEuoGoCw&ved=0CCkQsAQ
there is a couple of threads here that might have some ideas for you
http://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/showthread.php?73857-Picking-at-spots-etc.
http://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/showthread.php?71818-Picking-at-arms
I just remembered someone told me about these tangle toys for people who like fiddling on with things
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb...words=tangle toys&sprefix=tangle+toys,aps,240
Best wishes Jeany x
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Thanks Jeany -- seems like I'm not alone at all with this problem!
I do feel guilty as when she comes to mine I am often busy and don't really have time to sit with her. I think it is still a benefit as it is a change of scenery and she has a home cooked meal as opposed to a microwave dinner, but the picking drives me crazy. I feel selfish moaning about it, and sometimes I feel like I don't want to have her over. She has been wringing her hands and rubbing her legs etc for ages but this picking has escalated from the sores on her arms to every other orifice! We are keeping her nails short.
I will try and find a toy to bring with her today and see if she'll sit with that. I brought her colouring book and pencils with us before but if you don't prompt her to do it she will just sit there
I do feel guilty as when she comes to mine I am often busy and don't really have time to sit with her. I think it is still a benefit as it is a change of scenery and she has a home cooked meal as opposed to a microwave dinner, but the picking drives me crazy. I feel selfish moaning about it, and sometimes I feel like I don't want to have her over. She has been wringing her hands and rubbing her legs etc for ages but this picking has escalated from the sores on her arms to every other orifice! We are keeping her nails short.
I will try and find a toy to bring with her today and see if she'll sit with that. I brought her colouring book and pencils with us before but if you don't prompt her to do it she will just sit there
MIL picks and picks at her nose (inside and out!) and also her face until she is covered in huge spots. I think it is boredom but when she gets back from Day Centre she has obviously been picking
It drives us bonkers too..........I cover my face so I can not see her as it revolts me when she picks her nose
It drives us bonkers too..........I cover my face so I can not see her as it revolts me when she picks her nose
Oh thank goodness, thought my mum was the only one !! She picks at her face, looks like we been beating her. We have put it down to anxiety/nerves. Although she does it at her day centre, but she has started to become anxious when out now, so sadly we tend to not take her out in the car, yet she lurves her 'club' (daycentre). When new people come into her house, the face rubbing and picking is worse, so that's our opinion. Though I will take a look at those websites, as all she seems to do is move clothes around......I hate this disease, apart from this she looks soo well, has no other ailments :-(
I think maybe it is a boredom thing, can't see it being anxiety (unless it is and I'm just assuming she has no reason to be anxious) as she does it whether she's at home or at mine.
She came over yesterday and started picking at dry skin on her legs in the car (they do get creamed just get really dry). Then I saw her with her finger up her nose and told her there was tissue on the table if she needed it. So she took the tissue but a bit later it was the finger again. I do grumble at her about it as it is something that really gets to me (I know that's my bad) and then she gives me a "look".
I looked at activity aprons which by the looks of things can be expensive for what they are. I gave her a soft teddy with beans in it (one you can warm in microwave and smells of lavender) and also some wooden worry beads I had that are in the shape of a fish with a tassle on the end but unless I kept commenting on them she'd hold them then put them on the sofa and go back to firking with herself. However when she went on she gave the teddy back and held on to the fish. I got it out of her bag when we got back to hers and put it on the pouffe she has by her chair. So we'll see what happens.
She came over yesterday and started picking at dry skin on her legs in the car (they do get creamed just get really dry). Then I saw her with her finger up her nose and told her there was tissue on the table if she needed it. So she took the tissue but a bit later it was the finger again. I do grumble at her about it as it is something that really gets to me (I know that's my bad) and then she gives me a "look".
I looked at activity aprons which by the looks of things can be expensive for what they are. I gave her a soft teddy with beans in it (one you can warm in microwave and smells of lavender) and also some wooden worry beads I had that are in the shape of a fish with a tassle on the end but unless I kept commenting on them she'd hold them then put them on the sofa and go back to firking with herself. However when she went on she gave the teddy back and held on to the fish. I got it out of her bag when we got back to hers and put it on the pouffe she has by her chair. So we'll see what happens.
