Is it possible to reason with a Dementia patient?
My father in law is driving us crazy with his god awful habits. He has a lot of phlegm
that he coughs up on a daily basis and he spits it out in anything he can find. We've given him Kleenex, Handkerchiefs, and he refuses to use them. He usually tries for a trash can he has in the living room, but always misses and it ends up on the floor. He's ruined the carpet because we don't always find it in time and it's very disgusting to clean up when we do find it. My husband seems to think it's impossible to teach him any different. Some input on this would be greatly appreciated.
If you can teach an animal not to pee in the house, why can't you teach an 89 year old man not to spit on the floor? Or does one have to put up with this disgusting behavior?
My husband had the need to remove the phlegm from his mouth at the end, when he was mostly in bed. I bought a plastic bowl and lined it with a plastic bag, to make him a portable spittoon. He also used it to dispose of his tissues. When he got out of bed to sit for a while the lined bowl went with him. I offered this to him as a convenience to him. I never scolded or made him feel bad about his need to spit -- this was just one of his symptoms I could help him deal with.
Also, be sure that his doctor knows about the constant phlegm. There may be a way to reduce this. It is worth discussing.
It may or may not be possible to break this distressing habit. It depends on where FIL is in the dementia progression.
Good luck!