Husband cant differentiate between being hot or cold

[Pickalily]

With the very hot weather we're currently having, I'm struggling to get my husband to understand he is HOT !! sweating, not COLD. This morning I've had to change all the bedding yet again as he wraps himself up like a mummy and consequently everything is soaking wet in the morning because he's been sweating all night - at least I can get the washing dry!!
During the day he wears the same clothes as he does in the winter and covers himself in a blanket
If I try telling him he's too hot, not cold, he gets angry and tells me he knows how he feels - cold!!

Any suggestions?

I keep putting drinks in front of him, but then I get the age old problem 'Don't want it, makes me go to the toilet too much'!!

 

[Bunpoots]

Hi @Pickalily have you checked that your husband doesn’t have a temperature? If he has an infection of any sort it could be making him feel cold. It might be worth seeing if a couple of paracetamol help at all.

Having said that I believe that people with dementia do have problems with temperature regulation and often believe that they’re cold when everyone else is baking! I wonder if handing your husband a warm cup of tea and telling him it’ll warm him up might persuade him to drink a bit more? You won’t convince him that he’s not cold as he KNOWS he is but you may find that if you go along with his version of reality you might get more liquid into him. Soup is warming too 😉

 

[Pickalily]

Bunpoots, He hardly drinks coffee, never tea and as for soup....... He's always been a nightmare to feed !
Thank you for your suggestions, I'll just have to run with it. I really struggle with the heat myself. There's a limit as to how much clothing you can take off and stay within the law!! At least when its cold you can wear as many layers as you like

 

[Lawson58]

My husband wears a set of thermals, then shirt and track pants if staying home, then a sweater and a fleece. It is our winter but we have a centrally heated house and battle over the thermostat. Even with all those clothes on, he keeps turning the heating up to about 24 degrees.

I was wondering if your dad has any other health conditions such as heart problems because this can cause feeling cold because of poor circulation.

 

[Silversally]

With the very hot weather we're currently having, I'm struggling to get my husband to understand he is HOT !! sweating, not COLD. This morning I've had to change all the bedding yet again as he wraps himself up like a mummy and consequently everything is soaking wet in the morning because he's been sweating all night - at least I can get the washing dry!!
During the day he wears the same clothes as he does in the winter and covers himself in a blanket
If I try telling him he's too hot, not cold, he gets angry and tells me he knows how he feels - cold!!

Any suggestions?

I keep putting drinks in front of him, but then I get the age old problem 'Don't want it, makes me go to the toilet too much'!!

I have a similar problem with my husband, Pickalily! I get hot flushes still at 78 but he says he is cold despite putting his dressing gown on over his pyjamas, but his skin, feet etc. feel warm to the touch. Then when the room seems cool to me, he is hot! He is also wearing the same clothes as he does in the winter. Sorry I don’t have any suggestions - would be glad of some myself.

 

[Dianej]

My OH is wearing the same jumper and shirt he wears in winter. Occasionally he is instantly hot and takes them off then after a little while he puts them back on again. He wears the same clothes to bed too and sleeps under the duvet with a blanket on top, while I currently sleep on top of the covers. In the morning, he just gets up and would wear the same jumper etc again all day if I don't find a way of getting them for the wash. I have just assumed that his brain doesn't tell him he's hot any more, although he does know when a hot drink has gone cold.

 

[Silversally]

My OH is wearing the same jumper and shirt he wears in winter. Occasionally he is instantly hot and takes them off then after a little while he puts them back on again. He wears the same clothes to bed too and sleeps under the duvet with a blanket on top, while I currently sleep on top of the covers. In the morning, he just gets up and would wear the same jumper etc again all day if I don't find a way of getting them for the wash. I have just assumed that his brain doesn't tell him he's hot any more, although he does know when a hot drink has gone cold.

So like my husband,DianeJ. Does he have a diagnosis of the type of dementia?

 

[Kath610]

My OH is wearing the same jumper and shirt he wears in winter. Occasionally he is instantly hot and takes them off then after a little while he puts them back on again. He wears the same clothes to bed too and sleeps under the duvet with a blanket on top, while I currently sleep on top of the covers. In the morning, he just gets up and would wear the same jumper etc again all day if I don't find a way of getting them for the wash. I have just assumed that his brain doesn't tell him he's hot any more, although he does know when a hot drink has gone cold.

Hi @Dianej and @Pickalily , I have the same problem - my husband (Alzheimer’s) has been wearing the same clothes all week (5 days so far) and sleeping in the t shirt and pants. He refuses to change and really thinks I’m the unreasonable one for wanting to put his clothes in the wash. I get “But this is a nice t shirt “, “I haven’t got any other clothes” or “You’re nagging again, pushing me away!”
We don’t sleep together any more but his bed has the winter duvet on plus a quilt. He seldom showers but when he does, I find the water temperature is turned up high.
I’m absolutely fed up with it - and with him if I’m honest. Nothing I say makes any difference.
Any advice?

 

[Dianej]

So like my husband,DianeJ. Does he have a diagnosis of the type of dementia?

Hi, OH was diagnosed with Alzheimers two years ago but this week had a review by Memory Clinic who thought it was mixed with vascular dementia because of his previous physical medical history. It doesn't change his medication etc.
I'm afraid I don't have much success at getting his clothes for the wash very frequently. I could pinch them while he was in the shower but that doesn't work any more as he has refused to shower for the last six months. He will agree to put on a clean shirt and jumper for his daughter's weekly visit but that's the best I can get. Currently the house is like a greenhouse as he closes every window after I've opened them. I'm dreading the winter heating bills. It would be great if they could put all this in a TV ad!

 

[Silversally]

Hi, OH was diagnosed with Alzheimers two years ago but this week had a review by Memory Clinic who thought it was mixed with vascular dementia because of his previous physical medical history. It doesn't change his medication etc.
I'm afraid I don't have much success at getting his clothes for the wash very frequently. I could pinch them while he was in the shower but that doesn't work any more as he has refused to shower for the last six months. He will agree to put on a clean shirt and jumper for his daughter's weekly visit but that's the best I can get. Currently the house is like a greenhouse as he closes every window after I've opened them. I'm dreading the winter heating bills. It would be great if they could put all this in a TV ad!

The TV ads don’t really show any of the more unpalatable problems, do they? Sorry to hear about your difficulties, Did you see a difference when he started the medication? My husband has not yet been properly diagnosed and is not so far advanced, has not yet been put on any medication but there are many similarities. He is fairly amenable to suggestions but I get so tired of having to constantly remind him.

 

[Dianej]

The TV ads don’t really show any of the more unpalatable problems, do they? Sorry to hear about your difficulties, Did you see a difference when he started the medication? My husband has not yet been properly diagnosed and is not so far advanced, has not yet been put on any medication but there are many similarities. He is fairly amenable to suggestions but I get so tired of having to constantly remind him.

My OH was put on memantine two years ago which I think did make him calmer but the disease has made rapid progress. I think the lockdown may have been partly to blame as he didn't have the mental stimulation then that he would have done. I agree having to repeat explanations is exhausting. He still believes there is nothing wrong with him.

 

[Silversally]

My OH was put on memantine two years ago which I think did make him calmer but the disease has made rapid progress. I think the lockdown may have been partly to blame as he didn't have the mental stimulation then that he would have done. I agree having to repeat explanations is exhausting. He still believes there is nothing wrong with him.

That is hard. My husband does understand what is happening, which can be upsetting at times.

 

[masquereader]

My OH - who is 76 and awaiting diagnosis, probably FTD - has trouble with temperature awareness full stop. As others have said, he wears the same clothes most of the time, often inappropriately warm, but sometimes not warm enough too. I’ve found him out in the garden before now, in pjs and slippers, in chilly damp conditions.

 

[Aniseed]

With the very hot weather we're currently having, I'm struggling to get my husband to understand he is HOT !! sweating, not COLD. This morning I've had to change all the bedding yet again as he wraps himself up like a mummy and consequently everything is soaking wet in the morning because he's been sweating all night - at least I can get the washing dry!!
During the day he wears the same clothes as he does in the winter and covers himself in a blanket
If I try telling him he's too hot, not cold, he gets angry and tells me he knows how he feels - cold!!

Any suggestions?

I keep putting drinks in front of him, but then I get the age old problem 'Don't want it, makes me go to the toilet too much'!!

I don't have any suggestions unfortunately but I am getting the same with my husband. I had put just a sheet over him this morning but he told the carer he was cold and insisted he needed the duvet (albeit a summer one). 15 minutes later he is calling because he is uncomfortable and does not understand why. I told him he was hot and then he agreed so I took off the duvet. He then said I had to take off the sheet too. It is a constant batter and yes, loads of laundry to go with it.

 

[vivian t]

My husband also says he's cold. He wears a t shirt, then a long sleeved top and a cardigan or fleece. It takes some persuading to take a layer off in this hot weather. He does like a glass of pop so dehydration isn't a problem.
He goes to bed in the same t shirt and underpants and socks. After three days and nights I can usually persuade him to have strip wash ( he hates the shower) and wear clean clothes.The biggest problem is getting him to let me clean him after going to the loo, his underpants are a sight to behold !

 

[Skylark/2]

Just thought I’d reply and agree with everyone!
26 degrees here, husband is wearing long sleeve t shirt, flannel shirt, jumper and his gilet and thick moleskin trousers. In bed he wears same t shirt, flannel shirt, thermal socks and we have a 13.5 tog duvet plus option of a blanket and no windows open! I am melting.
Getting him to change his clothes is becoming difficult, he doesn’t see the need.

 

[annieka 56]

With the very hot weather we're currently having, I'm struggling to get my husband to understand he is HOT !! sweating, not COLD. This morning I've had to change all the bedding yet again as he wraps himself up like a mummy and consequently everything is soaking wet in the morning because he's been sweating all night - at least I can get the washing dry!!
During the day he wears the same clothes as he does in the winter and covers himself in a blanket
If I try telling him he's too hot, not cold, he gets angry and tells me he knows how he feels - cold!!

Any suggestions?

I keep putting drinks in front of him, but then I get the age old problem 'Don't want it, makes me go to the toilet too much'!!

With the very hot weather we're currently having, I'm struggling to get my husband to understand he is HOT !! sweating, not COLD. This morning I've had to change all the bedding yet again as he wraps himself up like a mummy and consequently everything is soaking wet in the morning because he's been sweating all night - at least I can get the washing dry!!
During the day he wears the same clothes as he does in the winter and covers himself in a blanket
If I try telling him he's too hot, not cold, he gets angry and tells me he knows how he feels - cold!!

Any suggestions?

I keep putting drinks in front of him, but then I get the age old problem 'Don't want it, makes me go to the toilet too much'!!

 

[annieka 56]

Just wondered if maybe your OH has circulation problems - if his feet seem or look cold for example.
Also is he mobile or is he pretty much in bed ( sorry if you explained this.)
I wonder if you could put the duvet out of the way and say it got coffee spilled on it or something and he might get used to a cellular blanket instead?
If he's incontinent at night then it does get really hard doesn't it to get the wet things off ( for us, that's even with incontinence pants that leak half the time as he doesn't wee enough during the day.)

 

[Pammy50]

My husband also says he's cold. He wears a t shirt, then a long sleeved top and a cardigan or fleece. It takes some persuading to take a layer off in this hot weather. He does like a glass of pop so dehydration isn't a problem.
He goes to bed in the same t shirt and underpants and socks. After three days and nights I can usually persuade him to have strip wash ( he hates the shower) and wear clean clothes.The biggest problem is getting him to let me clean him after going to the loo, his underpants are a sight to behold !

 

[Pammy50]

Hi Vivian t. I could have written the exact same as you about my OH. His underpants drive me insane. It does not matter how many times I tell him to wipe and flush it just does not happen.
It is 4:30 am and he has been paying from about 11pm so I have moved to another bedroom but all I can hear is him opening and closing the bedroom door, walking about and him turning all the lights and fans on.
I totally empathise with all of the posters on here.