Mom has started spitting. Is this another 'normal' part of her Alzheimer's?

My Mom does it, it's common with Alzheimer's. She also farts, growing up I never heard that out of Mom either. The part of the brain that keeps us from doing such things doesn't work anymore.

A medical or dental evaluation is a good idea for the reasons mentioned by other members, and also an evaluation by an OT might be useful. Swallowing becomes an issue with Alzheimer's. Excessive saliva might be building up because of swallowing problems.

Yuk. I understand how you feel. When I was growing up we called it ”hockering” and it was fairly common with boys, old men and even old women. When my teacher would catch a boy doing that on the playground, she’d make them get a tissue and clean it up. But, it was common, like boys carrying pocketknives. Someone brings a knife to school today and the police are called.

Take your mother to an ENT and make sure she doesn’t have sinus or throat problems that’s causing drainage issues. When you see her firing up to launch a loogie, hand her a tissue.

Get her checked out. Could be she's developed a tooth abscess, picked up a little fungal infection, even has something stuck between her teeth - so she's uncomfortable or has a nasty taste or odd feeling in her mouth.

Could still be part of the dementia! But it can never hurt to check.

Ahhh, my mom was a spitter, she always was. Yes it drove me nuts but had to learn to just let it go. At least mom always carried tissue, many times stuffed up her sleeve. A tissue collector she was.

I then had to remember to check her clothing for tissue before washing. What a mess there was a few times. One time, I found the missing hearing aids wrapped in a tissue stuffed up her sleeve. Aids could have been easily washed of thrown away.

I'll choose a simpler route: have you asked her why she has started doing this? She just might offer a logical answer in spite of her dementia.

My Alzheimer’s patient does this too. I interpreted as a thing he did as much younger person since his current memories seem to reflect the same.

Keep or Put an empty cup with a label “spit cup” in front of him.

Her broken brain s causing these involuntary actions.

This is disgusting. I know it sure is not normal and it has got to be stopped - how? I wish I knew but something has to be done to stop it. I would not have her in my home if she was doing this. Please seek medical and psychological help how to force her to stop this ugly habit. It must not be tolerated.