Picking at bumps etc on skin, is a sign of Alzheimer's. My mother in law does this do her fingernail beds and forehead until they bleed. . We tried putting a round bandaid on her forhead. It worked for a short time until she took it off. After we had to restart her Celexa for agitation, she seems to do it much less.
It's dementia related and can be symptom of anxiety. Yes, trimming nails helps, wearing long sleeves and long pants helps too. It's hard to prevent them picking on their head, but some people do not mind wearing hats. Again, some soothing smells can calm your loved one down. Use essential organic oils to diffuse in the room or apply directly to the skin. For some residents in my care it worked. I used lavender, Valor (Young Living Oils), Frankincense, peppermint, etc. So, be creative! Find what might work for your loved one.
My grandma would pick her legs into bloody nubs..it was awful. Closely trimmed nails (with pretty polish) helped but ultimately we ended up bandaging whatever area she was picking at. I think boredom was a part of it as well. Maybe crosswords or something to occupy the hands otherwise
Has this been looked at by a doctor? Had an experience with elder itching/scratching and thought it was her renal failure symptoms, turned out to be scabies.
Picking at the skin is an obsessive compulsive disorder sometimes, very hard to divert them from doing it, I have found extremely short fingernails combined with extra slippery lotion, like one with a silicone base that stays on for a very long time can slow down or prevent damage to the skin. Sometimes you have to check and treat skin damage and reapply repeatedly throughout the day.....good luck, it is a difficult problem to deal with......hopefully they will get out of that stage soon.
My mom does this sometimes too - I think it's agitation, nerves and a nervous habit more than anything. Try getting her busy with other activities to distract her and put on anti-itch cream - that seems to help my mom.
In dementia units I've seen socks put on hands or mittens used, if they are advanced in their dementia, to ward off intense scratching that can draw blood.
My mother-in-law feels around her mouth and chin area, finds skin bumps and picks at them all the time. I took her to her doctor who told her they were just thickened skin and were just one of the gifts that old age gives us. When we're in the car together she'll start messing with them, complaining that they itch. I have started putting some hand lotion, I'm using Udder Cream right now, and that seems to soothe the itching (for awhile) at least. She complains that they never used to be there when she was younger, and she's right...kinda. Also I'm having to keep lip balm on her lips constantly since she's picking at them too. Just sitting around in her memory care building with her hand on her face resting, is doing it. They try to keep them all busy too, but you can't keep an old person busy all the time.
My 91 year old mom "picks". Obviously, old people's skin usually has a lot of little scales, scabby places, etc. to pick at. With my mom, I keep her in loose but long sleeve shirts and long pants, both soft knit. It seems that if she can't feel it, she doesn't pick. I also a good dry skin lotion which I put on her a couple of times a week. It seems to help.
Again, some soothing smells can calm your loved one down. Use essential organic oils to diffuse in the room or apply directly to the skin. For some residents in my care it worked. I used lavender, Valor (Young Living Oils), Frankincense, peppermint, etc.
So, be creative! Find what might work for your loved one.
In dementia units I've seen socks put on hands or mittens used, if they are advanced in their dementia, to ward off intense scratching that can draw blood.
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