What does it mean when mild Alzheimer's person rolls their chair up to the wall & sits there facing the wall?

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KathleenPlano Asked February 2014

What does it mean when mild Alzheimer's person rolls their chair up to the wall & sits there facing the wall?

My dad has some memory loss but is growing back to walking in PT & growing stronger with diagogue. In other words he is not declining greatly or rapidly but I have seen him a few times in the nursing home even while I am visitng roll his wheelchair up to a wall for no apparent reason & sit there. Not sure why someone would do this. Considering he has enough cognition to carry on a simple conversation & ask for things he wants I am puzzled. Does anyone on here have alzheimer's training or experience & do you know what this might mean? Most of the time he doesn't just sit still which is good because you want them using their legs by scooting around but it's usually up & down the hallways. I don't know why they would scoot up to a wall & face it for a few minutes.

Alzheimer's & Dementia

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score 0 · Answer 1

I agree: just ask him. Maybe, as someone suggested, he's on sensory overload. That was the first thing I thought when I read what you wrote.

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score 0 · Answer 2

Good job Kathleen!

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score 1 · Answer 3

I think he is doing it a little less often now. I was actually wondering since it was a new thing maybe it was related to getting used to the new place or that if an employee saw him they would come & pull the wheelchair away from the wall so that would mean attention. He seems to be becoming comfortable with his new place & the staff. Maybe he was even testing how fast they came to pull him away or something. The last place would just leave him there for some time. I don't know. I have learned to take him out for concerts & such once in a while rather than just visiting at the home so that it is more 1 on 1 & something for the senses. I have often seen in the past where they adapt to new surroundings faster if you take them out & bring them back depending on the circumstances. Every time you come home it feels more like home. In the car & at the shows he is a more captive audience. And it is nice for him to see the sky once in a while.

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score 1 · Answer 4

He's in a nurcing home facing the wall.Maybe perhaps he don't want to be their.Or facing the wall make him not see what he doesn't desire to see.Have you asked him about this?
If it was me facing the walls it would mean I don't want to be bothered.You need to talk to your Dad?It's not dementia the cause.He remembers the walls.

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score 0 · Answer 5

There are 47 types of Dementia and they vary, plus each person has a different background, so the distant memory will be quite different. You should't be too concerned about the patient, the are usually very content and even when they are agitated they are enjoying it. The important thing for you is to take care of yourself. Taking care of a person with dementia is said to be a 36 hour day.

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score 0 · Answer 6

Which ever part of the brain that is losing function from the dementia is why you see so many different behaviours in dementia patients. It is not clear cut. It could be something like needing to get away from "sensory overload". Its really hard to know why. You could ask why he is doing that. It is hard to know what his brain is processing/ how HE sees things at the moment. It sure is puzzling isn't it?

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