Strategies to distract dad with FTD when doing obsessive and repetitive things

Maryjane01 · August 18

Hello all, thank you in advance for reading this message and for any idea you may have.

I'm looking for new ideas to distract my dad (with FTD) when he starts with his obsessive routines. Until a couple of weeks ago, he would still listen to me and trust me if I would offer an alternative, now he is solely focus on his things and doesn't let anything go from his hands until he has done what he has in mind. For example, he takes around glasses (many), with some water, from one room to another, and then pass the water from one glass to another. I let him do it most of the time, but when he takes two it's a problem as he then can't be properly balanced walking and it becomes dangerous, especially when he goes up and down the stairs.

Does anyone have a similar experience and has found a way to distract them? or some activities that keep them busy replacing some of these obsessive things?

Thank you for any tip you may have!

Jeanne C. · August 18

I responded to you on the FTD group page, but just thought of something else. My husband could often be redirected by an interesting photography book or a deck of playing cards. And his day program used to give him towels to fold.

terei · August 18

Have you tried putting the glasses where he cant access them?

Iris L. · August 19

Empty the glasses of liquid, then give him some plastic glasses or cups to carry around.

Iris

dancsfo · August 19

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/219762#Comment_219762

Perhaps you can hide most of the cups except one (preferably plastic) to "play with". While I thought that these obsessions bring some sort of joy or sense of purpose, I also found that failure in doing these tasks brings frustrations too. I overhead a muttering of "I wish I would die soon" after a failure.

Maryjane01 · August 21

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/219880#Comment_219880

exactly, I feel that he has some satisfaction in doing this irrational thing, that perhaps makes some sense in his mind, especially because it goes from one place to another, so there is some sort of objective. I also think that I prefer this one to other objects he may decide to bring around (one day he started moving paints from the wall, luckily by ignoring him this one lasted only that day).

It feels extremely sad to read your messages and know you're also going through something similar, and relieving at the same time to know we're not alone.

Maryjane01 · August 21

thank you again Jeanne, for another great tip. I tried with a little piece of cake when it gets very bad, and rederecting to other smaller obsessions he has (curiously, also with towels…). Sometimes it works!

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/219761#Comment_219761

Strategies to distract dad with FTD when doing obsessive and repetitive things

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