How can I keep my mom from rubbing her face repeatedly?

https://www.agingcare.com/articles/compulsive-skin-picking-in-the-elderly-186225.htm

whilst the article is about picking I would think it applied to your mums rubbing in this case since it’s caused an open sure.

Bar vaseline to make it slippery rather than chaff the only other thing I can think of is a nose guard till it heals and that’s only if she doesn’t remove it

but the the article mentions behaviour therapy

You can also try cotton gloves at night but she may pull them off

my mom picks at old age spots on her face and gets them to bleeding

this is is a more common problem with dementia than you'd think

small stuffed animal or doll to hold may help too

I agree with lealonnie. Find something else to keep her hands busy. For my mom it is coloring. For your mom it may be a Fidget Blanket or painting or sticker books or sorting coins or ??? Think back to the things your mom loved to do with her hands all her adult life.

If the nose rubbing occurs also during less active times of day (lying down for bed), maybe get a stress ball, stuffed animal, fidget spinner, or ??? that would help keep her hands occupied and away from her face.

I would also recommend having your mom see a geriatric psychiatrist or psychologist. They can be a huge help, but not all are created equal, so don't be afraid to find a second or third opinion.

You probably should continue to rule out physical causes. Even if cancer is ruled out... What about an allergic reaction to something in the MC facility or something she ate? What about a tooth abscess? Nasal infection?

And... Not to be too critical, but if the best solution the MC facility can come up with is to apply an anesthetic, then maybe you want to look at other MC facilities.

I would suggest an Alzheimer's Fidget Blanket.......you want to keep her hands busy so they're not rubbing her nose all the time. You can go to Amazon.com and find a variety of items available for this express purpose. It's quite a common problem with dementia diseases and associated OCD type repetitive behaviors. My aunt scratched a bald spot on both sides of her head from chronic picking, rubbing, and running her fingers over the same areas. She was especially agitated after her husband died, and so that behavior worsened. My cousin 'didn't believe' in Alzheimer's fidget supplies, so .................you can also speak to her PCP about calming medications ie: low dose Xanax (another thing my cousin 'doesn't believe in') since this type of behavior is often associated with agitation.

Best of luck!