My dad is 77 and I am his caregiver for almost 5 yrs now and he all of a sudden will not wear clothes. I needs suggestions on how I can make him keep clothes on. Is this normal?
My 92yr old MIL with dementia takes off her clothes and diapers. Some times at night sometimes during the day while sitting in her chair in the living room. I you ask her why she says she doesn't know why she did it. Other times she will take them off and put them back on saying they didn't look right. Last weekend she took off her shoes and put them back on several times and each time called me in to see if they looked "right" and were on the correct foot.
Put his clothes on backwards. Yes, I said backwards. Buttons in the back. Zippers in the back. Try to pick something that won't look too odd if it's on backwards if you can. He can't undo anything this way and you can get him to the doctor. Or ask the doctor to send out a visiting nurse to the house for staple removal.
Disrobing happens and may or may not be a sign of something else.
There are companies who make clothes that patients can't take off by themselves. They look like shirt/pants but are really a jumpsuit that has to be removed from the back. They make ladies' dresses that can only be opened up from the back, but look normal in front.
If you can, take notes about time of day when he does this. Is it before soiling an undergarment? Is he scratching anywhere in particular? Is something scratching/rubbing/chafing/poking? If you can spot a trend, it will help you problem solve. There may be no trend though.
Google "Adaptive Clothing" or "Clothes for Alzheimers" and you will get lots of results with solutions to this problem.
OMG! HUGS! mum went to a phase last winter of being too hot and would take off her clothes even though it was very cold but never naked just inappropriate for the temperature and ive read this is a part of dementia she also wore fleece pjs in very hot weather in the garden so ive heard of inappropriate clothing but never refusing to wear clothes? Poor you this is awful!
On the internet are at least two stores that I have dealt with. Buck and Buck is one and Silvert's is the other. FIL used to disrobe back 15 years ago and no one, not the hospital not the doctor, suggested one piece clothing. We had to do our own research. I buy MIL's clothes from Silvert's and am always happy.
Well, mom's never been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. (I don't believe she has it. Just dementia.) But she went through a phase where she was taking off all her clothes at NIGHT...even her Depends briefs. Yikes!
I chalked it up to "she was too warm." Maybe your dad is? Doesn't have to BE too warm in the house; just how his body's thermostat perceives it. Maybe try keeping the house a bit cooler?
I hope you don't mind me answering, I do not have anyone with Alzheimer's/Dementia but yes, it is normal for some not to wear clothes. I hear stories about neighbors that lived on my block and they said a gentleman who had Alzheimer would walk up and down the block nude, very often. He was perfectly fine with it too.
Others will be here soon and can give you a better answer/reason or what they do to keep them on their loved ones. Ive never dealt with this, but just wanted to offer support.
We have central air so it's normally cool in the house. I need to get him to the doctors to get a staple removed from his head from when he fell but he refuses to put clothes on. I'm at a loss on how to do this.
I have also seen in the nursing home where the shirt was safety pinned to the pants in the back, so they might get the shirt untucked, but they can't get any farther than that.
Little did I know when I was sedwing toddler mittens to coats that it would turn into this!
Buttons in the back. Zippers in the back. Try to pick something that won't look too odd if it's on backwards if you can.
He can't undo anything this way and you can get him to the doctor.
Or ask the doctor to send out a visiting nurse to the house for staple removal.
Disrobing happens and may or may not be a sign of something else.
There are companies who make clothes that patients can't take off by themselves. They look like shirt/pants but are really a jumpsuit that has to be removed from the back. They make ladies' dresses that can only be opened up from the back, but look normal in front.
If you can, take notes about time of day when he does this. Is it before soiling an undergarment? Is he scratching anywhere in particular? Is something scratching/rubbing/chafing/poking? If you can spot a trend, it will help you problem solve. There may be no trend though.
Google "Adaptive Clothing" or "Clothes for Alzheimers" and you will get lots of results with solutions to this problem.
Poor you this is awful!
I chalked it up to "she was too warm." Maybe your dad is? Doesn't have to BE too warm in the house; just how his body's thermostat perceives it. Maybe try keeping the house a bit cooler?
Others will be here soon and can give you a better answer/reason or what they do to keep them on their loved ones. Ive never dealt with this, but just wanted to offer support.
Little did I know when I was sedwing toddler mittens to coats that it would turn into this!