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joaniek Asked December 2021

Staring....My mother stares at me constantly when I move about the house. It is starting to make me on edge. What can I do?

I have asked her to stop many times but continues to do it. I don't know what else to do but stare back.

JoAnn29 Dec 2021
Its part if the Dementia. I had the same thing with my Mom and it is bothersome. Not much u can do.

BarbBrooklyn Dec 2021
Has your mom had a stroke?

I have noticed this "staring" in post stroke patients

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Geaton777 Dec 2021
This may be her version of Shadowing, a common dementia behavior where the afflicted person goes through a phase where they don't let the caregiver out of their sight without calling out for them or following them.

Is your mom immobile? If so, this may explain it. Your profile says she has vision issues, so maybe she's not secure in who or where you are. Can you give her a distraction, like sorting objects she can feel with her fingers, or folding a large pile of kitchen towels? I think this will be a phase, like many other dementia behaviors.

answry Dec 2021
Oh, Lordy! This is right up there on the irritation list for me. Deal with this all the time. Come to my kitchen to cook, the staring starts. Go in to set my dishwasher, the staring starts. Go to get something out of the icebox, the staring starts, reach for something out of the cabinet, the staring starts.

Some days I can tolerate it and try to hold a conversation. Other days I do as you stated and ask not to be starred at (does not work). I roll him back in front of the television and the area that has his activities and within seconds, he is turning the transport chair away from that area to focus back on me or whoever is in the darn kitchen. Headphones are my friends at times.

Just this morning again he rolls from his area to watch me set the dishwasher. I asked, you mean to tell me I'm more interesting than the television? You are starring again. No, I'm not he goes. I go turn the chair back toward the television. Then I go back to do what I was doing and you guessed it. So I just left it for later.

So no solutions from me but I feel your pain.

By the way, I think we lose with the stare back game rofl.

Beatty Dec 2021
Most people watch a moving object (or person!) unless fully engaged in something else.

A friend's MIL used to creep silently around behind her in the house & copy her. She had some sort of neuro-brain problem & was on some heavy duty meds at the time.

I agree with window or TV to view instead.

pamzimmrrt Dec 2021
Does she have anything else to watch? She may be bored. Turn her towards the TV and find something she may like Or by the window so she can look out? I sort of need more info here

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