{"id":1954,"date":"2020-05-08T12:52:53","date_gmt":"2020-05-08T17:52:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/heartsathome.com\/san-antonio\/?p=1954"},"modified":"2020-05-08T12:52:53","modified_gmt":"2020-05-08T17:52:53","slug":"home-care-kirby-tx-does-your-senior-with-dementia-rummage-try-this","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/heartsathome.com\/san-antonio\/home-care-kirby-tx-does-your-senior-with-dementia-rummage-try-this\/","title":{"rendered":"Does Your Senior with Dementia Rummage? Try This"},"content":{"rendered":"

When an older family member has dementia<\/strong><\/em>, there are a lot of challenging behaviors that may crop up. One of them is rummaging through things. As dementia progresses, some seniors begin to dig through drawers, boxes, and closets as though they are looking for something. They may even take items and hide them somewhere else. The behavior isn\u2019t dangerous, but it certainly can be frustrating and create extra work for family caregivers.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, experts and caregivers together have determined some techniques that are helpful in dealing with rummaging.<\/p>\n

Below are some of those techniques.<\/strong><\/em><\/h5>\n

Selectively Remove Items<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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Home Care Kirby TX – Does Your Senior with Dementia Rummage? Try This<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s not a good idea to completely clean out the drawer the senior typically rummages in. That could be very upsetting to them. Instead, remove only certain items. If there is anything in the drawer that they could harm themselves or someone else with, such as a sharp letter opener or a pair of scissors, put it in a drawer that is too high for the older adult to reach or that you can lock. In addition to dangerous objects, also remove anything that is valuable and could be lost, such as a coin collection or jewelry.<\/p>\n

Create a Rummaging Drawer<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Consider creating a drawer specifically meant for rummaging. Place objects into it that will hold the older adult\u2019s interest. Some items you might include are:<\/p>\n