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Have any other Alzheimer's patient caregivers encountered a patient who is now cutting up paper? My mother, who is in the moderate stages of Alzheimer's, has started to engage in this behavior recently.

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She should not have access to sharp objects.
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Reply to Southernwaver
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I would only allow blunt nose scissors for safety.
I cannot imagine what is driving this odd behavior, but it doesn't much matter. With dementia there isn't often rhyme or reason. I have in the last few days so often quoted the late, great Oliver Sacks who was so enamored of the study of the mind beset by dementias or by mental illnesses. He once said "They HAVE a whole world; it just isn't OUR world". We "normals" often seek answers where there are none; answers order our confusing world.

If your mom ever did Art of collage then I think there may be an answer to this. If not, maybe she always longed to. Or if she ever sewed and cut patterns; for me that is a major zen that comforts my mind.
If not, this is out of the blue. Get a big scrap book, sit with her and a pile of magazines and a pot of paste and create. You may be amazed.
I myself think that some of the BEST art in the world is done either by the very young or the very old. I say that as someone with one of each framed in my bedroom.
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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Shredding paper or tearing things up is a common behavioral trigger for people with Alzheimer's or dementia. It can be a way for them to cope with anxiety or boredom. Some studies say that these actions can be similar to taking a warm bath to calm down. 
 

Other common behavioral triggers for people with dementia include: Confusion, Pain or discomfort, and An overwhelming or changing environment. 
 

Some other common behaviors associated with dementia include:
Wandering, Hallucinations, Delusions, Physical or verbal aggression, Restlessness, Pacing, and Yelling. 
 


Some tips for coping with dementia behaviors include: 
 

Creating a special place for the person to rummage or sort things 
 

Giving the person a personal box, chest, or cupboard to store things 
 

Avoiding arguing, confronting, reminding them they forget, or questioning their recent memory 
 
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