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MB2222022 Asked February 2022
My mother has become obsessed with changing her clothes three times a day and washing clothes and bedding all day. Advice?
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My mom is 82 (83 in April) she is obsessed with radiation and itching. She thinks she can feel radiation in her feet and in her chairs and clothing. She washes laundry all day and has received a letter from the city for excessive water use. She has piles of clothing in her garage and can no longer park her car inside. She is now putting her shoes in bags and taking them to the garage. She cleans the bottom of her shoes constantly.
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3 Answers
Geaton777 Feb 2022
This sounds like OCD but has she ever displayed OCD behavior in her past? She may be a candidate for meds to deal with this anxiety. I agree it "keeps her busy" but she'll go broke paying her water bill. It is not uncommon for people with dementia to fixate on things. And like Ariadnee suggested she may have skin sensations that are bothering her and she isn't able to come to a "normal" solution to help herself. Getting her to see her doctor would be a priority.
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MB2222022 Feb 2022
She has been obsessed with her weight ever since I can remember, but that is all. Thank you for your response.
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97yroldmom Feb 2022
My aunt had a neighbor lady who “boiled” her sheets on her range before washing them and she didn’t have dementia. If it weren’t for the wasted water I would say leave her to it but Ariadnee has a good idea to have mom checked out by a geriatrician.
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Ariadnee Feb 2022
Weeellll....she may think she can feel the radiation-might be a form of neuropathy. Washing clothing all the time-is that new? As others will ask here: has she been seen by a qualified gerentologist? That's a doctor for the old people. How long has this been going on? Who has power of Attorney? What else is she doing?
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MB2222022 Feb 2022
My father is there with her, but he is at his wits end. She was tested for dementia, but she passed a four hour test with no issues. She has not seen a gerontologist. I have suggested this. She hates doctors, but has been going a lot. She threw away a bunch of bedding because she thought that was the cause of itching. Now, she thinks it is her couch. This began when COVID began. She has always been a busy lady. She worked until she was 80 years old, which was in 2020! She and my dad went to the gym daily pre-COVID. She feels good when she is out of the home, but as soon as she is home she begins to have the issues. I think it is anxiety due to her world coming to a halt in 2020.
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