cleanliness

cart01

Registered User
Mar 7, 2005
2
0
Its been a while since i have posted anything on here - but these last few weeks reading other people's threads has been a real help. My mum was first diagnosed 3 years ago and for a period of time she did seem to be doing really well, she's been on aricept since diagnosis and has been coping pretty much with carers coming in daily. The carers (unknown to me) were stopped. My mum was being very difficult when they were coming round and not letting them help in any way.

The problem now is that my mum's hygiene and cleanliness has deteriorated significantly and i am finding it increasingly difficult to tackle her over this. She has also started displaying some strange other behaviour (like buying tonnes of dog food which she doesn't need and hoarding out of date food which she was never going to eat...she will only eat stir fry which she insits on having every day)

We have now re-instated the carers who are hopefully going to take her shopping and do some cleaning - i was wondering if anyone else has experienced similar behaviours?
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
81,455
0
Kent
Most of us experience inappropriate behaviour at sometime or other, and lack of hygeine is quite a common one, as is unnecessary purchasing.

I`ve yet to find a way of modifying it, but as long as the cared for isn`t at risk, or isn`t causing risk to another, I feel it can only be treated as part and parcel of the condition.

If the carers can get her to co-operate, it might solve some of her problems. It is probably more distressing for you to see her like that, than it is for her, being like that.
 

Canadian Joanne

Registered User
Apr 8, 2005
17,710
0
70
Toronto, Canada
The hygiene issue seems to be a universal one. Everyone seems to have a stage or two of it. My mother had quite a long bout of it. I had to try many different things and they didn't necessarily all work. It depended on her day. I even would tell her she stunk and needed a wash & clean clothes. She would wear the same underwear for several days :eek:!

I suspect asking your mother if she wants help only elicits a no. I would suggest having someone else distract her while you go through the out of date food. Does she have a dog? If not, maybe there's a dog shelter you can donate the food too.

On the bright side, stir fry is very healthy!:)