Mum has a compulsion to tap everything she passes. She asks "why am I doing this?" Even though it troubles her she does not seem able not to do it. It's always things on her right side. Sometimes I try to avoid her tapping doors of other care home residents by walking beside her and holding her arm as I would if we were out for a walk. It is getting worse, when it started a few months back it was just the odd bit of furniture, but now it is everything. Panelled doors get special attention, each panel gets tapped. Has anyone experienced this with their loved one, and does anybody have suggestions.
Tapping compulsion
- Thread starter Red Geranium
- Start date
My Dad has a tapping compulsion. At this stage hehas been diagnosed with cognitive impairment but about to have a reassesment.
Dads is more tapping and knocking on the side of a chair, door or table. Not all the time.
My Mum has in Alzheimers and is now in care. Dads tapping drives her mad, as she has an aversion to noise. Great combo
Other than an OCD trait, what did your Mum do in her past life.. job or hobbies that might explain it?
If you have ever watched Teepa Snow videos there is one of a lady in her care home that continuosly went around all the chairs and furniture banging them with a musical instrument. Maracas I think? Anyway turns out in her past life she was a cleaner so they managed to swap the maracas for dusting cloths.
Dads is more tapping and knocking on the side of a chair, door or table. Not all the time.
My Mum has in Alzheimers and is now in care. Dads tapping drives her mad, as she has an aversion to noise. Great combo
Other than an OCD trait, what did your Mum do in her past life.. job or hobbies that might explain it?
If you have ever watched Teepa Snow videos there is one of a lady in her care home that continuosly went around all the chairs and furniture banging them with a musical instrument. Maracas I think? Anyway turns out in her past life she was a cleaner so they managed to swap the maracas for dusting cloths.
Mmm, I can't think of anything. She only does it as she is walking. I wonder if she is checking if things are safe to hold onto, but then why would she let go of the security of my arm to tap near by objects?
Is she maybe trying to get a sense of space? As in spatial awareness. Just a thought. My mother does it with her feet when the floor covering changes - almost like you would if you were testing ice before stepping on it.
Perceptions of space, place and texture all seem to change with dementia. Interesting that she does it while walking - it made me think of a blind person tapping with a cane,.
Hi there,
Have you seen fidget blankets or little bags filled with tiny items for restless hands to play with?
Repetitive compulsive behaviour is, unfortunately, a symptom of frontal lobe damage. Its just one (more) of those things. Its not the same as being restless and Im not sure what can be done.
My mum has a strange compulsion of wetting her eyes with her saliva which has resulted in her eyes getting redder & redder & redder. When we see her do it, we get her to wet a tissue with water & remind her not to use her saliva but she reverts back to it every time.
We have asked about this several times. The nurses report that she has crying fits throughout the day resulting in her eyes being red. We have asked for drops. I’m going to ring the ward tomorrow as I’m still concerned that my mum is not eating properly at all.
