Tissue and toilet paper maniac. Anyone else?

So glad to see the runny nose 'problem'. When I take my dad out for a meal, he is forever wiping his nose at the table and it drives me dotty. I keep telling him to stop it, not knowing that it is common. I've got to a point where I don't sit with him in the better upmarket restaurants, but take him to fast food outlets when they have seating. This thread has been most helpful. Thank you to all.

I never knew that this was an aspect of aging, but for my mother it was! She would use about a box of tissues a day because of a runny nose caused by one of her meds, and 1.5-2 rolls of toilet paper a day. And for her the cost was definitely a concern, but what could we do?...I used to stock up on tp for this reason. She's passed away and now there is a ton of tp in the house. Pretty sure I'm set for the next year! :)

Okay..same problem here with the kleenex. Every time she takes some, it's always "one for each nostril". lol When it runs, it is always clear runny liquid, like someone else mentioned. Sometimes we would see it running and have to tell her to wipe. She explained that she can't feel it running and it drives her crazy and it's so embarrassing to her! (That would bother me too, if I were in her place) That explains the constant wiping. The doctor put her on some prescription Clariton, which seems to help, as I don't SEE it running as much, but she doesn't think the problem went away....maybe it's a habit by now? She is 89 years old. When I first brought her to live with us, she would always let me know that she only uses one or two squares of TP when she goes, and I would tell her not to worry about it....use whatever it takes to get the job done! lol Now on the few times she forgets to flush, I can see that she uses more, but it just tells me that she feels more comfortable with us. I'm just glad she CAN still wipe herself, as I don't look forward to having to do it for her. Never thought about the possibility of fewer nose hairs...or a side affect of her meds. (She had a five way by-pass some time ago, so is taking some kind of heart med, too). She also uses oxygen 24/7, and some of her nurses have suggested that her oxygen may stimulate her nostrils and make it run? Just putting some ideas out there.

My mom is the opposite. She takes washcloths and re-uses them to wipe after urinating. Her bathroom stinks to high heaven. We keep trying to tell her, it's weird, it smells, it's unclean (risking infection, etc.)

I think some of these obsessions come with the era they grew up in. I know my father has 4 boxes of kleenex in their living room, the only tp they flush would be for # 2. the rest is thrown in a garbage can beside the toilet. But I think the need to have so much around them may be due to the fact that they grew up in the recession era and for them to "have stuff" around them makes them feel fortunate and not "poor" again. I know there are numerous items tripled in my parents house (calendars, clocks, and note pads everywhere). Good luck to all of us as we also age and go thru our stages.

My Mother is in Assisted Living and is constantly asking for toliet paper. I find it hidden in drawers there. She must think she's going to run out.

OMG! Was just cursing tissue frizzles in my mother's wash again when I saw this post. Not sure where this one was hidden but it got past my thorough inspection. Again LOL Thought, too, it was Depression era quirk, but maybe not? Avoid panic attacks by keeping both tissues & tp well stocked. Paper napkins get used over & over as well. Thanks to all the helpful explanations & suggestions. Will keep them in mind when excess tp in the toilet becomes an issue, too. :P

"OMG! Was just cursing tissue frizzles in my mother's wash again when I saw this post."
You haven't lived until you wash clothes that have depends in a pocket. They swell to the size of a basket ball and can't be pulled out.. Or better yet depends in the wash break and fill the wash with millions of little wet gooey beads.

I am a great toilet paper user, but 1000 sheets (1 roll) in one day is excessive. Limit her usage to bathroom needs and if you have to put out just some toilet paper for her to use, then do it. She is being obsessive about toilet paper probably because when she was young her family didn't have much. My husband was very poor when he was young and he goes to the other extreme of using one piece of paper to wipe with and I have seen the individual pieces in the toilet bowl. So have a talk with her and put an end to paper madness!

also my mother-in-law used to always have a tissue in her hand,pocket, wherever. And you can talk to you are blue in the face, it won't do, will just have to deal with it or try to limit but talking won't face them if they have dementia or alzheimers.

Conversing with a LO who has Alzheimer's is often like talking with your cat. Acknowledge, respond, be affectionate, develop boundless patience. Forget about rational responses. Show respect, your therapeutic fictional responses are allowed. ~DLMifm

try to accept the mind is damaged. Forget about rational responses. we can run ourselves ragged trying to rationalize the irrational behaviors
Easy to say, impossible to live with .."Take a BREAK often | You get to start o

Mom puts them in her pockets, purse, and bra. We have folded bits of TP (clean thankfully), paper towels and tissues in numerous piles/places - she is like a squirrel.

OH MY, it's the same here! Paper of all kinds is stuffed everywhere. I am just not too excited about "snotty" papers on my countertop and grocery bags in the kitchen. I try to grab them before the washer does. I have ruined so many loads of clothes. Prayers to everyone dealing with this. I guess it could be worse, especially the "used" kind!

yes i can totally relate to the paper product issue. My mom counts the sheets of paper and sometimes doesn't take enough and then constantly wants to put it in the waste basket instead of toilet. Somehow though we do go through a lot of TP
The other is napkins I go thru a pile at dinner just like eating with a child I have to wipe her hands and pick food off her clothes. I also have to take her plate away as soon as she is finished because it bugs her and she doesn't know what to do with it. She insists on wiping her plate yet more napkins.

How about finding out what causes this problem. There must be something they are trying to say or are thinking about. My daughter is an expert in Dementia and altimerzes. Her name is Denise

I am an HHA for clients with Dementia/AD. I have notice many times clients will overuse toilet paper, even paper towels in an effort to clean up after bowel movements. What I started doing was coaching them in the use of flushable wet wipes. This is because I realized often the fecal matter was dried, probably from a BM earlier in the day when they were alone. Thus I closely supervise and coach them in the use of a wet wipe in order to get clean without using tons of toilet paper.

Thank you for the hug 12wondering. You are hugged right back :)

Something else my dad does is that he now no longer sit up straight at the table. He leans back in his chair and wants to bring the food on this long road :) all the way to his mouth from the table. Naturally he drops some of it on his clothes and its yet another thing one has to deal with. Its all so strange seeing him do this though. when I was growing up he was quite strict on table manners, so its almost funny now.

Shame yesterday, he showered in the morning because my sister told him to and it used to be a bit of a mission, now its become a little easier , I mean a little, but when she got home late afternoon, she noticed him wearing the same clothes/pajamas, which has become his day-wear and she told him again to shower. She was told this morning by the help that he did shower in the morning and she felt quite bad about getting him to shower again after he had told her that he did. That's when one feels bad and yet most of the time it can be quite taxing. ooh!

OMG oodness.... lol My grandpa uses a lot of Kleenex. But, frugal with the toilet tissue. He has sinus problems but, has Kleenex is stashed everywhere. When I go to wash I got to go through everything to make sure it don't land in the washer. Talk about a mess. He then wants to reuse the toilet tissue for his penis. Thank God he let's me use wet wipes on his bottom now. He has a habit of putting lotion on his toilet paper to wipe his own bottom. God forbid you get cheap tissue...... or forget his baby lotion..... Gotta Love him !!!! LOL

i find that the reason my mom uses so many tissues is she is trying to clean "whatever", and SHE CAN'T SEE IF ITS CLEAN!!! she has macular degeneration,which is like a huge black cloud in the middle of her eye.......also, i realize the reason she wants to save every bit of tissue to use again, is because she grew up during the depression....and they did'nt have much....most of these old folks were taught to save everything from aluminun foil to reuse to tissue paper.....think about it, it makes sense.....

Drives me nuts, mom's Kleenex thing especially, since I now use old fashioned hankies I can wash myself (I've offered her a clean one daily which she laughs at). Every time I hit the bathroom, I need to shake out the rugs what with all the tiny pieces of Kleenex or toilet paper everywhere. There's usually a trail all around the house. The sinus thing you mention is interesting, never thought maybe some of her meds could add to this. She's always had seasonal allergies anyway so I guess the nose dripping is nothing new.

I am so glad to be a part of this site as it reminds me that I'm okay. My mother, too, has an obsession with tissue. In pockets of her sweater, purse, and she actually takes all of the tissues out of box and refolds them. I've figured out it's comfort for her. It also keeps me a little more at peace as watching her always in confusion keeps me upset. I figured spending a few dollars for xtra boxes is a small thing to keep her nerves in check. It's just the opposite, however, with tp as she doesn't want to waste. I just check her places after putting her to bed to clean out used tissues.

We had the same problem with my MIL. We have septic and we thought she would clog it up in no time.We switched her to Scott brand toilet paper which seem to last longest and it's thin. I believe it's the pulling it off the roll that is the draw for her. Also, tissues and napkins: Napkins for meal times she would use up to ten or more at one sitting. We bought a restaurant napkin holder, this slowed her down for a short time. Soon we had to dole out napkins for her because she was like a chain smoker but with napkins, continually taking one after she crumbled up the other one . Tissues...we had gone through so many boxes of tissue, that we started buying it by the case. The cheaper the better. We moved her tissues where she would have to get up to get one. That slowed her down on them too. She was just squirreling them away in her pockets. So for us, we have curbed her paper using but I believe we won't prevent this behavior, maybe slow her down for a while.

My Mom is in assisted living, so she has her own bed and bath. She's 95 and is going down the slippery slope. She is able to walk uptown, a block away, to the store and buys a bag of tissue paper. She brings the boxes back and places them through the facility. The aides feel bad that she's spending her money, but I say if that's the least of my worries, I'm ok with it.
In her room, however, she cuts open the boxes of tissues and stacks the tissue in various places around her room and bathroom. While I think it's unsanitary, again, I have other things to worry about. It does make be a little crazy.
The issue that makes me really crazy is the refusing to put the toilet paper, used, in the toilet. She insists on putting it in the waste basket. I think this goes back to living in a house with septic.
Thanks for letting me share with others who can relate. :)

My Mom is in assisted living, so she has her own bed and bath. She's 95 and is going down the slippery slope. She is able to walk uptown, a block away, to the store and buys a bag of tissue paper. She brings the boxes back and places them through the facility. The aides feel bad that she's spending her money, but I say if that's the least of my worries, I'm ok with it.
In her room, however, she cuts open the boxes of tissues and stacks the tissue in various places around her room and bathroom. While I think it's unsanitary, again, I have other things to worry about. It does make be a little crazy.
The issue that makes me really crazy is the refusing to put the toilet paper, used, in the toilet. She insists on putting it in the waste basket. I think this goes back to living in a house with septic.
Thanks for letting me share with others who can relate. :)

I too have a LO with bathroom tissue and paper napkin issues, but in the opposite direction! He tears each paper napkin in 1/4's and uses them to blow his nose at he dining table, even with a box of tissues sitting next to his chair. He is being economical . I wish he used more tissues in the bathroom, one thin square, no matter what.
I totally agree with having to check all his pockets before doing the laundry or I will have a blizzard of white paper. I think as the youngest of 10 growing up right after the depression, his behavior is understandable. I try to pick up any scrap that he leaves for later and may need to buy him some "special", thicker toilet tissue. I do have moist flushable wipes for him, but he rarely uses them.

How timely! After having the toilet snaked twice in two weeks and then replacing it on the third week, my husband & I were beside ourselves! We brought Dad (now96) to live with us a year ago, after his second subdural hematoma in 2 months...in assisted living...he refused to ask for any kind of help....he uses toilet paper so unbelievably quickly!! The extra giant roll lasts about 2 days...flush able wipes get used 3-4 at a time...and in puts mini-pads in his underwear 'in case of' fecal leaking...he uses tissues at nite after he uses the urinal....we have finally told him just to NOT flush, and we'll take care of it...then we don gloves and scoop out tennis ball size amounts of wet paper products to dispose elsewhere....I'm liking the lidded bucket idea!..

Oh yes!!! My husband has FTD and age 58. Symptoms started early last yr and the TP and Kleenex fixation started mid last yr. I keep Kleenex in one room instead of near where he usually is as he went through a box of kleenex in a day or 2 at the most. Looked hardly used. He does this in restaurants also. TP has been going fast too so will just take some of these tips and not keep some stored in the bathrooms. I am glad that I am not alone on this. I feel like I am not a good caregiver, I get so frustrated. He watches the same DVD's all the time too. Have to just set out a few cookies in the dish too as he ate 1/2 container of Trader Joes cookies in a few hrs. one day.

My mother has been tearing paper towels in four pieces and putting them in ziplocks and stashing them all over her room. She also saves used napkins. When looking for something in her room I came across gallon baggies full of folded paper towels and napkins, when I asked her why she had them she said she needed them to wipe her nose. She also has no cold or sinus problems , when I pushed the issue a little more she said she used them to clean her glassed and then finally admitted she didn't know why she saved them.

Thank you Patti 99, I am not alone .

I'm glad to see that this is not just going on in my house! My mom goes through an entire roll of toilet paper a day and I really don't know how she does it. Then she puts the extra roll up on the shelf over the toilet so that if you run out, you can't reach it. Or she puts her used toilet paper in the trash rather than flushing it! My dad has issues with paper towels. He only wants to wipe (after a BM) with paper towels and he puts them in the trash too!