Newly diagnosed

Newbie4

Registered User
Jun 23, 2020
57
0
Hi all
New member obviously, registered in hope of getting some help/guidance.
My mother has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and is bout to start 3 month course of medication.
Oddly relieved that it’s finally been diagnosed, has sadly gotten noticeably worse the last 6-12 months.
Most recently we have started seeing some very odd repetitive behaviour, I’m wondering if this is something else anyone else has experienced on here? For example, making numerous cups of tea (6/10) at a time, she lives with my father only. Also, taking tissue paper or toilet roll, folding or cutting it up and then putting it in her handbag - sometimes numbering them too.
Any help or advice appreciated.
 

canary

Registered User
Feb 25, 2014
25,018
0
South coast
Oh god, the tissue paper!!!!!!!!!!!!! :eek::eek::eek:
Mums hand bag was absolutely stuffed with it. Yes, all carefully folded and put into piles. Same with the toilet paper - then she went onto napkins from cafes (couldnt do it at the moment!) and flannels, stiff as boards, but carefully hoarded and folded and put into piles in the lounge.

Yes theres been the numerous cups of tea, the numerous phone calls, the numerous buying of toiletries (yes, the dreaded tissues and toilet paper), etc etc. When mum moved into her care home I didnt need to buy her any toiletries for the whole of the time she was there! The trouble is that they forget that they have done this already, so they do it again - and again - and again..........

PS, welcome to DTP @Newbie4
 

Weasell

Registered User
Oct 21, 2019
1,778
0
Welcome to our forum!

Anyone with the tissue Issue starts on the VIP membership package!!!!

It may be worth printing this out for your father!

You can also use the search bar at the top of the page ! But with the word tissue you may have to skip a few ‘Organ donation posts’!
 

Jaded'n'faded

Registered User
Jan 23, 2019
5,259
0
High Peak
Tissues and toilet paper are - it seems - a common obsession with people with dementia. I have no idea why!

Mum used to pleat hers...
 

Rosettastone57

Registered User
Oct 27, 2016
1,839
0
My mother in law used to collect the plastic wrapping from sliced loaves. It was only when she passed away and I was clearing out the house , that I discovered whole drawers full of them. o_O
 

Lemondrizzle

Registered User
Aug 26, 2018
246
0
My mother in law used to collect the plastic wrapping from sliced loaves. It was only when she passed away and I was clearing out the house , that I discovered whole drawers full of them. o_O

I was all ready to empathise with the tissue etc., but oh my goodness the plastic loaf bags at my MIL's!!!
 

Quite contrary

Registered User
Jan 5, 2020
472
0
Ilford, Essex
I have fairly recently started to find little piles of carefully folded tiny squares of kitchen paper! But why!! OH was quite defensive when asked. I didn't realise it was a 'thing' with dementia!
 

Newbie4

Registered User
Jun 23, 2020
57
0
All massively helpful responses, hugely appreciated. I find it oddly reassuring that the toilet paper seems to be fairly common!
Thanks again for taking the time to reply.
 

Buckeroo

Registered User
Apr 16, 2020
38
0
Hi Newbie4
Have we got the "pleated toilet paper to come"? Oh heck! We have other triggers. My mother's handbag is all consuming to her - until we sorted it recently she would hide her medication in her bag to avoid it being "taken" then hide her bag, then call me in hysterics because she couldn't find it, stating someone had taken it. We got to know the hiding places - all far from obvious places.

As I spend more time with my 85 yr old mother (and 92 yr old father) I find more excessive purchasing. More loo rolls than in Sainsburys, stuffed into any cupboard - no organisation when my mother was once irritatingly organised; square boxes of tissues (mostly stored in the kitchen (?); and tins of baked beans and tined mandarin segments!

Also, sadly, she thinks all her clothes have been swapped - none are hers.

Trying to add a light tone to your plight but not in any way lacking the understanding of what you are dealing with. This disease is dreadful and those suffering must be so scared when genuinely believing the worst has happened when something goes "missing" or they must hoard items. Its hellishly tough for us too ..... this wonderful forum will help you enormously, it has me. Welcome, with my best wishes.
 

Buckeroo

Registered User
Apr 16, 2020
38
0
Forgot to add - please add plastic loaf bags to the hoarding list of tissues and loo rolls! I find it amazing that there is a common thread for this obscure items! ?