fists and toes clenched

Atlantajan

My DH has been home with me for two months after being in memory care for six months. He has started clenching his fists and toes, and he is amazingly strong. He will hold on to blankets when we are trying to get him out of bed, and it takes two of us to get his hands free. Does anyone else have this problem or a solution to it? He has late-stage ALZ.

M1

welcome to the forum. What you’re probably seeing is a very late stage grasp reflex that indicates near total loss of cortical function. Nothing to do about it. Do you have hospice help? I hope so…

Atlantajan

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/223746#Comment_223746

I do have hospice help, and they are wonderful.

elainechem

My mother did this late in her battle against brain cancer. She was in a skilled nursing facility. The took a couple of washcloths, rolled them up, wrapped a little adhesive tape around them to help them hold their shape, and then put them in my mother's clenched hands. It helped prevent her cutting herself with her fingernails.

I tried this with my husband in the last week of his life, but he kept dropping them.

Atlantajan

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/223784#Comment_223784

I've tried it as well, and he keeps dropping them or throwing them.

elainechem

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/223831#Comment_223831

Yeah, I think this pertains more to people who are no longer able to consciously regulate their movements.