Obsessed with smoking

[VioletLinda]

Hello, I am really at the end of my tether. My mum has dementia and is obsessed with Cigarettes. As soon as she puts one out she is asking for another. We limit the amount she can have as she has burnt the carpet, furniture and her clothes. We have tried e-cigarettes and at present we are using patches from the doctor but nothing is changing.
When she is left on her own for any amount of time she turns out her handbag and drawers looking for them.
Any suggestions to help as we do not know what to do next.
Thank you

 

[kindred]

Hello and welcome. I volunteer at a dementia nursing home. We have two residents like this. One is only allowed two a day and he struggles with this as you can imagine. He signs an invented contract to say he has had one or he will forget. The other is a lady who is in and out of the door into the garden to smoke so often, and is obsessed, like your mum.
She will search everything to find a cigarette. We have to use distraction like cup of tea, or The newspaper, anything.
This kind of behaviour is very difficult to stop, but with luck it can be slowed down by distraction. I do so sympathise with you.
Warmest, Kindred

 

[jennifer1967]

your mum has probably forgot she has had one so when she lights up thats her first one. if you say that you have just had one, then she will probably deny it as she cant remember. does your mum associate having a smoke with say coffee, meal or something that she enjoys a smoke after when she didnt have dementia. maybe you could cut out coffee or distract with something else after shes had food

 

[lemonbalm]

Hello @VioletLinda

I wonder if your mum is anxious. The following link might be useful. There is medication which can help with this, so might be worth asking your mum’s doctor about that if nothing else works.

Anxiety and dementia

It is common for people with dementia to have anxiety. It can make symptoms of dementia worse – particularly symptoms that affect a person’s attention, planning, organising and decision-making.

www.alzheimers.org.uk

If you think your mum may need some company and distraction when you are not there, Age UK may be able to help. Here is a link to the services they offer:

Age UK services for the elderly | Age UK

From befriending and social activities to footcare, information and advice and our charity shops, Age UK delivers a number of services designed to help older people

www.ageuk.org.uk

 

[VioletLinda]

Thank you everyone, mum has carers 4 times a day and we have asked them to give her a cigarette at the back door when they visit and my sister who is her main carer (i live 250 miles from her, but visit as often as possible) is doung the same. We thought this would help her remember she had had one but it makes no difference. We are definately going to try the signing a piece of paper when she has one.
We actually have age concern going in twice a week for a couple of hours but she wont engage because of the cigarette fixation.