One sign of the aging brain is repeating things more ofttimes, peculiarly stories and questions. In that location are reasons for this that are not related to progressive conditions like dementia, but in either case, repetition tin can get sometime very quickly. Even the most experienced and patient family caregivers occasionally struggle to hide their frustration. While there is no like shooting fish in a barrel prepare for this trying side effect of aging, a change in attitude and some proven strategies tin can help you lot continue your cool and preserve your loved i'south dignity.

On Crumbling and Being Repetitive

Every bit we age, our perspective on life changes. At that place'due south a homo need to brand sense of what has happened in one's by and to contemplate what one's legacy will be. Added years requite u.s.a. a chance to reflect on our past from a distance and provide a unique point of view that but elders can fully empathise and appreciate. Recounting former stories is one style that many seniors piece of work through this process. Sharing experiences with those we love helps united states of america derive meaning from our successes, failures, joys and hardships. This is also the mode countless generations take secured their legacy—by passing down lessons learned and words of wisdom.

If an aging loved one retells the same stories every now and and then, and y'all remember to yourself, "I've heard that a hundred times!" please take the patience to let them keep. They may be working through the past to find a sense of pregnant. Whether it'due south consciously or unconsciously, elders oftentimes want to effigy out how these events shaped their present and volition play into their future.

When family unit members and friends understand the importance of an elder retelling personal stories, they tend to be more tolerant of the repetition. Furthermore, it's important to realize that only because an elder repeats some things doesn't necessarily mean they have dementia. Their minds may not be as precipitous or fast as they used to be, just some rumination and forgetfulness isn't unusual in elders.

Coping with Repetition Caused by Dementia

According to the Alzheimer'south Association repetition is common in individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer's or dementia, ofttimes in association with a person's desire to seek condolement or security. My heart goes out to the many family caregivers who must listen to the same statement, question or story 20 times in one hour because a parent or spouse has some form of dementia. Curt-term retentiveness loss makes it impossible for dementia patients to remember what they just said, and then they say it again and again and once more. Anyone who has been in this situation will tell you lot that there'due south a limit to how many times you tin can muster a genuine response. It's enough to drive a person mad. So, what tin dementia caregivers do about these seemingly endless loops?

Practise Agreement

Try to empathize that your loved i isn't repeating stories or questions to irritate you lot. Your loved one's encephalon is damaged, and they tin't think asking y'all what fourth dimension their doctor'southward date is at or telling you that they need more tissues at the grocery shop, so these things happen over and over once more. If you sympathize the reason behind repetitive behavior, you volition probable detect you lot can better control your irritation and be more patient.

I rarely propose comparing elders and children because I experience that too much of this can skew our thinking, but in this instance, it can be enlightening. Rather than using this comparison to justify treating a senior like a child, use it to modify your mental attitude and expectations. Children echo things often to ameliorate grasp and memorize new data. Most people are very understanding of this learning process and children'south limited capabilities. Seniors with dementia may be repeating words and behaviors in their own quest to grasp or sympathise information.

We have more patience for younger individuals because they are growing mentally and nosotros know that their questions and one-rail statements will somewhen wane. It follows then that nosotros feel that this behavior is inappropriate for seniors who have amassed decades of noesis and experience. However, the truth is that dementia patients' worlds do not brand sense. Repetition may be an effort to procedure information, understand stimuli, or express a concern. It's likely that dementia behaviors such equally repetition get worse over fourth dimension, so mastering empathy and self-control is paramount for dementia caregivers.

How to Bargain with Repetition and Dementia

Dementia tin crusade patients to say and believe some pretty incredulous things, and many caregivers struggle with how to handle them properly. Depending on how a caregiver reacts, a patient may go fearful, paranoid, depressed, angry or even trigger-happy. Navigating these situations is particularly difficult and takes a groovy bargain of practice, but there are three specific techniques that are recommended for coping with difficult dementia behaviors: validation, distraction and redirection. On their own, these strategies are useful, but when a caregiver can larn to use them all together, it'southward a gamechanger.

The Validation Method for Dementia Patients

Validation simply refers to hearing out what a person is saying or feeling and responding in a supportive and empathetic fashion. Rather than reorienting a patient to reality or refuting their warped perception of things, you acknowledge their version and gently dispel any anxiety or discomfort they may exist experiencing.

For instance, if your loved one says the grass in the front yard is blue, what does it hurt if yous agree with this argument rather than argue that it'southward actually green? An appropriate validating response might be, "Yes, it does await kind of bluish from this angle." Acquiescing doesn't affect anyone negatively and your elderberry doesn't end up feeling like they're ever wrong. Just keep in mind that validation is non tantamount to shrugging off the things a care recipient says.

Validation usually works, but Alzheimer's affliction and other forms of dementia are unpredictable weather. Nothing e'er works 100 percent of the time. Information technology becomes more hard to practice validation when an elderberry's thoughts are causing a great deal of anxiety or agitation. For case, during a certain stretch of my dad's dementia, he thought there was a war taking place in our town because he'd seen news footage of a foreign conflict on TV. I had one heck of a fourth dimension handling this persistent delusion. I obviously couldn't just hold with him and say at that place was a war here, because he was frightened. Instead, I entered his version of reality, acknowledged his concerns, explained that the violence was not taking identify in our immediate expanse and assured him of his safety. I promised him that I wouldn't let anything happen to him. Eventually, he let it go. In these scenarios, we caregivers end upward repeating ourselves, as well, which can exist exasperating. But we practise what we must to continue our loved ones at-home and content.

Distraction from Repetitive Thoughts

The next step is to attempt to distract your loved one. After the 2nd or 3rd repetition, endeavour changing the topic of discussion. Mention their grandchildren and what they have been up to. Talk about an erstwhile friend who has done something interesting recently. Use anything y'all can recollect of to pique their interest and change the subject. Depending on the extent of a loved one's memory issues, they may not remember these things y'all bring upward, only it tin can help them intermission out of the loop they are caught in.

Redirecting Someone with Dementia

Closely related to distraction is redirection. Sometimes changing the subject isn't totally effective, and then many caregivers redirect their loved ones' attention to a different activeness that they tin focus on. The point is to provide an alternative choice that will break the loop and keep an elder fully engaged.

Crafts, chores, snacks, watching movies or recordings of former TV shows, and listening to CDs of their favorite music are especially effective. Quondam photo albums are first-class for redirection as well. Only try to use an anthology that contains photos from the distant past rather than more recent pictures. A dementia patient's short-term memory is normally very weak and sometimes presenting them with documentation of recent events they do non think can exist upsetting. Long-term retentiveness stays intact longer throughout the course of the disease, so older photographs tend to exist a safer bet. Betoken out people in the pictures and ask your loved i to explain who they were. The chances are very good that they volition remember the photos and may fifty-fifty entertain y'all with a related story.

Have a Deep Jiff

I don't mean to minimize the irritation that arises from elders repeating the aforementioned questions and stories from their youths. I also don't want to imply that looking at an old photo anthology will solve the problem. Even so, these steps do piece of work for almost people, nearly of the fourth dimension. Remember that validation is valuable and kind whether dementia is present or non. It is oftentimes worth your while to cleave out a few minutes to distract and redirect. Keeping a loved one engaged will improve their quality of life and keep your efforts from becoming too tedious. If you lot detect yourself getting overwhelmed, merely footstep into another room for a few moments, take a few deep breaths and then effort again.