Cutting own hair

alimary298

Registered User
Jun 8, 2015
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Father in law has had vascular dementia for the past few years following some tia's. He still lives alone in jis own home with us helping to care for him but we've recently noticed he has started to cut his own hair. It doesn't need doing as his daughter (a hairdresser ) keeps it in shape but we find clumps of grey hair in the hand basin regularly! He's 86. Has anyone else found that this is yet another symptom. We are gradually learning so much about this condition
 

Tin

Registered User
May 18, 2014
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UK
My mum with Vascular Dementia, did this only for a short time, any little bits of hair sticking out got the chop. However she was keen on keeping the scissors around and was always cutting things up. She moved from cutting up old rags and newspaper to the dog lead and buttons on nightie, jumpers and her favourite coat. I hid all the scissors as it looked like this activity was taking over our lives, instead some other less dangerous obsession took over.
 

Onlyme

Registered User
Apr 5, 2010
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UK
I had to hide all scissors after Mum cut dressing gown cords, a skirt and I even caught her eyeing up the lamp cable.:eek:
 

Tin

Registered User
May 18, 2014
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UK
I had to hide all scissors after Mum cut dressing gown cords, a skirt and I even caught her eyeing up the lamp cable.:eek:

That was probably it for me too. She said to me that there were a lot of things hanging from the tv!
 

alimary298

Registered User
Jun 8, 2015
2
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Thanks these replies are helpful. We keep noticing him doing things and then eventually discover they're all part of the illness. he also sits hours polishing a pebble he once found on the beach or a small wooden vase he has. That too has become a habit but I recently read that sufferers like to sit and 'fiddle' with something.
 

lavenderblue

Registered User
Nov 2, 2014
23
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UK
Thanks these replies are helpful. We keep noticing him doing things and then eventually discover they're all part of the illness. he also sits hours polishing a pebble he once found on the beach or a small wooden vase he has. That too has become a habit but I recently read that sufferers like to sit and 'fiddle' with something.

To provide your father-in-law with safer things to fiddle with, if you or a relative enjoy sewing, could you maybe make him a "twiddle" cushion or a knee blanket with zips, buttons, buckles, large poppers, worry beads or buttons threaded on a strong cord, fringes, strips of velcro etc. on a base of different fabric textures that feel nice to the touch, like velvet, jumbo cord or fake fur?

Or put together a rummage box of tactile "treasures" that are badly in need of burnishing?

Could the scissors be tied on a short length of tape that is fixed to a table or work surface ("so they can't get lost") so they are long enough to use on the table but not long enough to reach up to his hair (though I suppose he might use the scissors to cut them free of the tape and then cut his hair if he's really determined to practice his hairdressing skills).
 

Tin

Registered User
May 18, 2014
4,820
0
UK
Thanks these replies are helpful. We keep noticing him doing things and then eventually discover they're all part of the illness. he also sits hours polishing a pebble he once found on the beach or a small wooden vase he has. That too has become a habit but I recently read that sufferers like to sit and 'fiddle' with something.

At the moment Polishing things is something my mum does a lot anything with a metallic surface, before this it was her boots. This activity does seem to keep her calm and I spend time looking round the house for other things she might like to polish, but she always returns to the metallic stuff. Before Christmas she became obsessed with the Velcro on her boots.