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brandywine1949 Asked September 2011

How do you handle a parent that repeats themselves?

My 88 year old mother has dementia. She is still living at home and for the most part is in pretty good shape. But she repeats herself over and over again. It is irritating to me. Sometimes it is scolding me over and over again. Is this normal for a dementia patient to do and how do you guys handle it?

tigerlily Sep 2011
I think my mom is in early stage dementia or ALZ and she doesn't constantly repeat but she has repeated the same stories to me about every time she see's me. Sometimes I just let her talk, sometimes I jump in and finish the story and sometimes I re-direct her. I know what you mean about it getting irritating but if you kind of make it a game with yourself it becomes less of a pain and will actually make you smile sometimes.

AgingCareCM Sep 2011
Hi brandywine1949 ,

There is a great article written by an AgingCare.com Editor that was already posted in our community. We thought this might answer your caregiving question.

What To Do When a Parent Repeats the Same Things Over and Over
https://www.agingcare.com/articles/elders-repeating-the-same-story-146023.htm

We hope this helps. Please let us know if you need anything else and we look forward to seeing more questions and discussions from you.

Thank you,
Karie H.
The AgingCare.com Team

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jeannegibbs Sep 2011
She can't remember that she just told you that. She would like her memory back as much as you would like her to have it. This is a journey neither of you signed up for. Be glad that she is still in pretty good shape and can live at home. Try changing the subject after a few repetitions, so at least you have a different topic repeated over and over. :)

NancyH Sep 2011
Oh WAYYYY normal!! My mother-in-law repeats herself a hundred times when I'm with her. Nothing you can do about your mom's brain NOT repeating itself, only thing that you can do is how YOU react to it. If you're trying to go about your business and stuff at home and she's driving you crazy, get yourself an IPOD and plug in. Otherwise, remember this could be you someday so be patient and just say 'uh huh' lots. Good luck with this journey you never asked for.

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