Expert: Paula Damgaard - 10/3/2005

Question
My Mother is in the late stages of Alzheimer's. My Dad has been taking care of her since 1997. Numbers seemed to be the last thing to go for her and she would repeat numbers over and over again. It let up for a while but now she makes a chanting noise that is loud and continuous. It can last all day and into the night. Sometimes until 3:00AM. It is having an affect on my Dad and he is going to have some major problems himself if there is no way to stop my mother from doing this.
Do you know if there is anything that could help this?
I don't know what to do.
Thanks,
Bill

Answer
Bill, sorry for the delay, I have just returned from vacation and apparently Experts didn't get my away message.

Sometimes giving low doses of antipsychotics help the chanting.  We are not sure why some patients do this but I know it can have a disasterous affect on the caregiver.  I feel for your father.  Is there anyway you can get him some relief?  Perhaps a sitter for a night so he doesn't have to sleep in the room with her?  

Other things to try is changing her position placing pillows under her arms and legs to relieve press points sometimes helps also.  For some patients it seems that the chanting is due to not being able to relay a pain or hurt.  It is worth a try anyway.

Hope this helps.  Paula