Chewing/sucking on bedding

Linda4856

Lately we have found my dad surrounded by wet sheets. They are not urine. Last night when I arrived, I found him in bed, with the sheet in his mouth. This is new behavior.

mommyandme (m&m)

Hi and welcome. Not sure what stage your dad is as far as dementia goes but we experienced biting/chewing on things in late stage 6 and stage 7. I eventually gave my mom baby teethers. I had to be careful of what mom fidgeted with because often it would end up in her mouth. Dementia patients can regress to baby-dom. Another thought is if your dad has some sort of tooth pain that the pressure of chewing on things/sheets might help. I gave my mom preventative acetaminophen/ibuprofen in the am and pm just to ward off even slight discomfort. It could also be an anxiety reaction. He might be awake and doesn’t know what to do or is worried so he’s coping/fidgeting. Maybe low dose Ativan or something before bed might help. I also started that when mom seemed more wakeful and/or talking at night in bed. I had cameras so I could observe what she was doing.

Always something new around the corner, eh? Sorry you’re on this journey. Keep coming back with any and all thoughts about this path you and yours are on. There’re lots of wise and supportive folks here.