Dad's dementia is worsening daily. He's very healthy otherwise. I need advice on handling his irrational behavior such as keeping power tools in his room. Mind you he's not allowed to use any of them. He just wants to lock up everything in his room so it won't get stolen. I've tried to reason with him, but I can clearly see now this irrational behavior is a step up & beyond what is normal. How do you all handle situations like this?
Not everything can be fixed.
Yes, it is his home. But he has dementia and cannot be the ones making the rules.
Get his doctor to tell him "no". Tell him there is a new HOA rules that power tools nay not be kept indoors.
Don't try to reason with him. Say no.
There are meds that nay lessen his paranoia.
My experience: My daddy wanted all his money with him and I told him he could not have it with him because he may lose it but I had placed it in a safe under the house where no one could find it. I took a picture of a box under the house and told him it was safe. He was satisfied with that. He also wanted his guns with him I told him his grandson was taking care of them in a gun case, and showed him picture I took off the internet of guns in a gun case, he was happy with that. Remember adults with ALZ and Dementia are not thinking correctly they may hurt you or themselves with big tools and knives. Remember you can lie or tell them anything that will satisfy them so you can stay safe.
I met a man who hid a knife in his wash bag 'to keep it from being stolen". Pulled that out to show me & wave around.
Knife, power tool, simple hammer...
Man with confision/delusion/panania + item that can become a weapon = scary & potentially bad outcome.
Welcome to Forum. You say in your profile that you are a recent widow who has moved in with your elderly dad to care for him. I am going to assume then that this is his home.
As you don't mention other concerns and problems just now it seems that this is the one and only.
How big is this house? Any way to change Dad's closet to have shelving and be the "tool closet". I know--weird, but if this is the only sort of OCD-like obsession, it could just work.
Men have a very close relationship to the "tools" they used to do "fix it" with everything in their lives. Seeing these things all nicely lined up may be his comfort.
Even shelving in the rooms would work, because what man didn't want to run out to the toolshed.
You say there is no chance of his using them, but you could also disable the plugs if need to with child-proofing.
I am, again, assuming this is the biggest and only concern now as you don't mention anything else. So, me, myself, I am turning Dad's (hopefully biggest bedroom in the house) into the best -looking tool collection on the planet.
Let him look about at the things that brought him the best/most comfort. He is 95. This problem is self limiting, to me.
Things may be a good deal worse than you are saying; this may be the tip of the iceberg. But as you state it, this is my idea for it.
Also think to buy him some big glossy books. My bro loved cars. Dad loves tools. Get him "Tools Through History", old Wards Catalog book or some such to just look through. My brother could do old cars by the hour. I am assuming there's some eyesight left.
Good luck. If you find anything that works let me know. But sounds like a good "project" for the two of you to do together.