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When my mother gets agitated, she repeats the same phrase over and over again non-stop (like help me, help me, help me; or I need a drink of water, I need a drink of water, I need a drink of water). She does this when I'm in another room and doesn't stop until I come into the same room with her. Has anyone else experienced this with their parent? She has trouble hearing, so even if I call out to her before I can get to her, it doesn't do any good since she can't hear me.

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My Mom doesn't do the repeat a phrase thing. She used to tell the same story or ask the same question like a broken record. LOL that's an old expression. In the nursing home I hear this all the time, One lady yells Help Me, another says I want coffee, another calls out her sister's name(which happens to be my Mom's name,whole other story), a man says nurse...nurse... etc. I really don't know what they are diagnosed with but it must be common for some type of neurological diagnosis. There are different types of Az/Dem. I would have your Mom see a neurologist for diagnosis.
I just saw on TV they have therapy dogs for elders who need attention and stimulation. Company may be what they are searching for. One woman at the NH has a baby doll who she kisses and holds and cares for, it's very cute. My Mother kidnapped the baby somehow. I have to look at the humor it helps.
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Yes,folks with dementia will repeat the same story,stories over and over. In fact at times my Mom will ask if she told me this. One thing though you have to be very,very, careful of over medicating . I just went through this with my Mom where they over medicated her which made her sitiuation worse! They said she was depressed and gave her more meds. You NEED to keep on top of things in that department. One size does NOT fit all!!!!
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my mom doesn't repeat a phrase, but will often repeat the same story as if she hasn't told me before...maybe because she doesnt have a lot going on? and probably because she forgets a bit also... maybe a combination of both?? not sure. this whole situation is pretty new to me...
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When I moved my 94 year old aunt in with me, the doctor wanted to put her on an anti-depressant. I asked if we could wait a while, because a lot of anti-depressants don't work on folks with dementia, some make things worse, some aren't really necessary. In my aunt's case, they weren't. I got her into an adult day care, made sure she got lots of light, good food, her 4 medications on a regular basis, socialization, her favorite cowboy shows - and two months later the doctor turned to me in amazement. He said he'd never seen someone this age blossom like that. At bedtime I give her 4 pieces of candy, and that works way better than sleeping pills. Check out the books The 36 hour day, and Gail Sheehey's Passages for Caregivers. Websites like this one are a huge resource , also The Alzheimer's Reading Room. As for the repetition, that goes with the territory. You got a lot of good tips - I think many times folks with dementia forget what they say as they say it (my aunt forgets she's eaten as soon as the plate is taken away) - I respond the first couple of times, then I don't, and she goes on to something else. If your mom is stressed about something, you'll need to address what she's stressed about, not her repetetiveness. Hang in (and do something for yourself - I recommend brown sugar pop tarts!).
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Thank you for your answers. Yesterday I was getting alarmed by her entire being, and was fearful of something serious, so I took her to Emergency. All tests came out clear. But she was diagnosed with depression. Even though I have experienced a lifetime of depression, her symptoms were different than mine, so I didn't really recognize it as depression. So I have come to the conclusion, after reading the comments above, that the repeating is probably a factor of dementia, most likely compounded by the depression. I will mention it to the doctor at her next appointment.
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only a doctor can tell if it is actually dementia or not......If it is depression I can personally tell you that medication has helped my mother a lot.........I think a little bit of it comes from lack of stimulation. Does she know that she is doing this and does she remember that she had done it later on in the day if you ask her....?? These are things that I would tell the Dr. for him to make a more accurate diagnosis.
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Hi dianne1,
There is a article written by an AgingCare.com Editor that was already posted in our community. We thought this might answer your caregiving question.

What To Do When a Parent Repeats the Same Things Over and Over
https://www.agingcare.com/articles/elders-repeating-the-same-story-146023.htm

We hope this helps. Please let us know if you need anything else and we look forward to seeing more questions and discussions from you.

Thank you,
Karie H.
The AgingCare.com Team
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my dad does that . help me oh plz help me waaaa oh plz help me help me waaaaa . over and over . yep that is dementia .
sounds like a broken record . over and over and over again .....
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Most people have things that comfort them in a special way when they are upset, afraid, or depressed.My father had routines that he wanted followed that made him feel more comfortable. While he was ill, he wanted me to brush his hair, clean his trach, and clean his hands well even though the nurses had already done so. He became calm after that. I wonder if there is a pattern to when your mother repeats her phrases? My father had similar behaviors after his first stroke ,and I was told it was linked to his language functioning. My dad's concerns were around my mother's care at first and then moved to the things that worried him. I hope your doctors can help you. Many doctors move in and out so quickly that we forget some of what we need to tell them. I found that if I kept a calendar log and shared it with my father's doctors and my son's doctors, they paid attention. Hang in there. Your mother is blessed to have you in her life. RLP
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Hi Dianne1.........I really relate to what Flowgo and JeanneGibbs said. During a hospital stay for a bad urinary track infection, my 95 yr old mom was put on Ativan and then Trazodone, and shortly after that she began to call out 'fire, fire' or 'police, call the police, police'. They (in Hospital and then in Rehab facility) told me they put her on these drugs to stop this behavior, but I now believe it made it worse and she should have been weaned off these meds, once the UTI was cleared up. About a week before she passed in 4/09, they began giving her Depakote as well. I just wish I knew then what I know now. Every elderly person is different and whether it's Alzheimer's, vascular dementia or another type of dementia, each patient's care and treatment needs to be customized to what works for them. Ex: my dad who has AD was way more agitated on Serequel; however, it worked great in calming down my neighbor's Mom who had mild dementia, but a lot of other medical problems. Anything from pain, an upset stomach or digestive tract to meds, anxiety or the confusion brought on by dementia could be causing her to repeat or call out. I hope you're able to figure out the cause or at the very least a way to ease her agitation. Please keep us posted.
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