Repeating most everything he hears on TV

nancyj194

This began maybe 9 months ago. We are watching TV in the evening and he repeats the lines constantly.  Sometimes he is all that I hear.  

Because of his hearing, he sometimes doesn't repeat it correctly, but it's close. I am amazed he can remember the lines at all! If I leave the room and come back and ask what happened, he has no clue. 

My problem with this is I can't hear the TV for him talking. 

Usually he does it quietly, but sometimes he gets louder. 

So far I say nothing, because I don't think he can help what he is doing. 

He also closes his eyes when I or our son talks to him. I used to ask him why and he would say he was resting his eyes. Mostly they are squished tight with wrinkles all around, so it doesn't appear he is "resting" them. 

Is this a common problem with LOs?  

Thanks

M1

Oh yes Nancy, we have this same issue.  She'll not only repeat the lines if it's a program she knows (like Andy Griffith), but she really can't follow any program now, and will talk over it, such that it's really becoming difficult to watch TV together--something we used to like to do.  We're still the habit of sitting down to watch the evening news together, but I think this is going to have to change.  The news just upsets her, she can't follow it, and she's constantly asking questions such that I can't concentrate on it either.  But it's sad, because it's one less thing we do together.  In her more aware moments, she complains about how we don't share much any more.  But it's sadly because there's not that much to share.  I have to keep up pretense for her sake, and it wears.  If I hear one more Andy of Mayberry episode I may die of boredom--but she gets angry if I sit there and play sudoku games or try to read.  Much of my work is on the computer, too, and it frustrates her enormously that I spend so much time online.  I don't think the spring weather is going to help much--she can't organize herself to get outside and do things, either.  I have to be the activity leader and organizer now, and there's only so much of that I can do.  The only thing she can do spontaneously now still is vacuum.  Fortunately, she seems to love it, and it's harmless (so far).

Wish I had suggestions for you of how to solve the problem, but I don't--but I do see it here too, you're not alone in that.

nancyj194

M1, thank you for your response. I had no idea this was a symptom of the disease. 

So far my DH doesn't mind if I write emails as we watch TV, so I am thankful for that. He does not like it when I turn on the lamp to read. We have to sit in an almost dark room.

 Our son suggested we watch the series, Little House on the Prairie, on Peacock, so I asked DH if he was interested and he said he was. He also likes Iron Chef America series along with Bobby Flay. Beings he forgets, we can go back and re-watch nine-12 months later. Even I forget some of them!

There might be some old series out there besides Andy Griffin she would enjoy. 

Last night DH announced he had just seen the one I turned on, so I found another. I don't mind, as sometimes I surf the net, or respond to emails.  

If I find a movie that has some depth to it, he starts getting upset as, "the  movie is going nowhere!" That's all I need to hear and so I find something else. Last year during the beginning of the pandemic, Hallmark Movies Now offered a week of free viewing. We started watching those and found a sweet series that takes place in Denver, called Signed Sealed and Delivered which he liked.  We live in a suburb, so it was fun to talk about the places they went. 

He also likes most of the overly sweet movies they have as long as there is not a lot of yelling or fighting.  Even I turn those off.  

I do enjoy movies that have complex plots, but those are out of the picture, now. 

Funny how your DW likes to vacuum. So does my DH. When we used to have a cleaning lady,  he used to vacuum in-between her visits,  but stopped after she moved to Wisconsin. I interviewed for a new cleaning person,  then decided to go back to cleaning the house myself.  I would sometimes run errands or have a doctor appointment when she was here. She was like family. 

I am not sure why he stopped vacuuming after Lisa moved away, but he will vacuum when he and I clean house. I find it both strange and interesting how the brain works. 

I apologize for this long response. We are expecting a major snow storm this weekend, so if they actually call it correctly, it will be a long two/three days! 

Take care,

Rescue mom

Yes, many spouses here have said this repetition is a problem—along with being upset by, or not understanding the news. For most, it means monitoring/limiting what’s on TV, or getting earphones so you only can hear (but some spouses don’t like that either). And yes, very simple shows—cooking, animals, nature, things with no or little plot to remember, become more favored, even when they did not like them before.

I have not experienced that, but my DH with Alzheimer’s does not understand or remember anything he hears on TV (or anywhere else) so there’s no way to talk with him about it. I miss that, he used to be so well-informed on what was happening in the world and country, and liked to talk about it.

My DH definitely had an aversion to lights. He would keep rooms very dark. I wrote about that here once, and several others said their LO were the same. He usually does not protest if I turn them on, but he’s likely to turn them off again. His eye doc could find no physical problem, “just” one of those Alzheimer’s things.

M1

Interesting, my partner's whole family is light-sensitive and likes to keep things very dark, while I'm just the opposite.  We have light switch wars as well as thermostat wars in the house all the time.....!  I do believe it's hard-wired and then no telling how the dementia affects it.

French

Amazing to read this when I have just posted about my partner’s mutism

JM1316

My DH watches either the news or ION tv shows while playing u tube videos of the Sopranos, dogs barking, birds, someone building a log cabin at the same time.  Sometimes the volume is louder on the u tube videos.  

At this point I sometimes say goodnight and retreat upstairs and watch my shows I taped or Netflix.  No arguing and less stress that way.  I also moved into the guest bedroom due to the fact that he sleeps better with the tv on all night when he comes up to bed.  Otherwise he would be up and down all night long and turning lights on and I would be awake all night.

nancyj194

JM, figuring out what works/helps us and our spouses to sleep is so important. M1, I wondered about the light sensitivity.  The neighbor behind us had his back yard light up with flood lights all night long. We had to buy room darkening shades to deal with that.  Some years later, his wife told us he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. My husband had also been systematically putting lights up all around the house, outside, then he would complain that the bedroom was too light at night, so cut some cardboard to fit the window, so NO light could come in.  I found this all so strange.

Then I thought perhaps he was fearful of the dark outside. Our six foot cedar gates had slide locks on them that he was so careful to keep in the lock position.  I feel like by my DH and the neighbor's fear went beyond rationality. Our neighborhood has always been fairly safe. I don't need the outside lit up all around and I don' t need the inside dark like a  movie theater. Some soft lights in the living room would be nice at night.  

M1, we used to have thermostat wars until our son installed a smart thermostat that I can control with my android phone. DH has no idea how to use the phone or work the thermostat in the hallway.  I typically ask if he is cold or warm and for the most part, if he is too warm, I will just cover up with a blanket rather than turn the thermostat up more. The older DH gets the more he and I are comfortable at the same temp or at least close.  

Rescuemom, it does all boil down to a simple or no plot. I miss having someone to talk to about what's going on in our life. 

nancyj