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frustrated2016 Asked November 2016

How can I get mom to stop digging at a spot in her nose?

She has Alzheimer's. She has little bump just inside her nose that she is constantly digging at and ends up with infection where her face swells and now this time has gone into her ear. She has excuse every time we tell her to stop digging at it. Her nose is stuffed or it's running or there's a bugger falling out, whatever she comes up with. Nthen when she's infected she is a huge drama queen. How the heck can I get her to leave it alone? She doesn't remember for 30 seconds!

Sunnygirl1 Nov 2016
My cousin, who has severe dementia, had a cyst on her face. She picked at it a lot and it just would not heal. There was no way to prevent her from picking at the spot. I took her to a surgeon who said it had to be removed. It was one of those things that would not heal on its own and it had a root. He removed it with IV sedation and she did just fine. He covered it with some kind of substance like liquid glue and it healed just fine. Since it was no longer poking out or swollen, it didn't cause her to pick at it anymore. It healed quickly.

frustrated2016 Nov 2016
I am making appt tomorrow with an ent to see if it can be removed easily. But then I have to keep her from messing with it until it heals.

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freqflyer Nov 2016
Having that little bump removed might solve this issue, that is if it is something that can be easily removed without major surgery. Bet it always feels like something is there, so it is normal for someone to want to try to get rid of it.

Rainmom Nov 2016
Give her something else to do with her hands. Folding seems to be a favorite activity with those suffering with dementia. Will your mom do puzzles or coloring books? Can she knit or crochet? A woman at my moms NH was often kept busy with a large divided tray and a bowel of different colored and shaped beads for sorting.

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