My DH is in memory care, and at night especially, he comes out of his room naked. The staff will take him back to his room and put clothes on him, but he will do it again a short time later. I have noticed he is more anxious and agitated lately, but he has a heart condition that makes him unable to take the normal drugs like Seroquel. Does anyone else have this problem, and can you give me some ideas of what could help? I am trying to hire a 1:1 aide for him from 6-10 p.m., but male aides are particularly hard to find. Any suggestions would be appreciated!!! As always, thank you all so much.
Just a thought — would he accept a female aide? Most caregivers understand people getting naked and wouldn't, I think, be put off by it. My DH did the same thing for a month or two and the MC aides themselves were fine with taking him back to his room and getting him dressed, even if it was repetitive.
I see a lot of folks talk about Seroquel, but my geriatric psych was not a fan. He prescribed Gabapentin instead and my DW's agitation and anxiety was reduced significantly. I'm not sure what that means re: your DH's heart condition, but thought I'd toss that out there.
I don’t remember the name of the company or the website but you can buy clothes that fasten down the back for people with dementia. They are unable to take them off by themselves.
Thanks for the suggestions! I am hoping for a male aide, because some of the females at the facility where he is seem to be intimidated by him, and I thought a guy wouldn't be. My DH is 6 ft., 200 lbs., and is also on the younger side at 78 years old. I will ask about Gabapentin. My DH has a heart issue called Long Q, where the time between the beats of his heart is longer than normal. Seroquel made that time even longer, and put him at risk of an arrythmia that could kill him. I thought about the clothes that open down the back, too, but I fear my DH would get really aggressive if he couldn't get his clothes off when he wanted to. It sounds like the issue is partly a staffing issue, where they don't want to have to keep getting him dressed. For now, I am going to try to find someone to be with him at night, at least until he moves onto a different behavior!
The company is Buck and Buck. They sell clothes especially for this condition, a jumpsuit that zips in the back which they describe as “This sleeper suit is made for someone who compulsively undresses.” If you’re interested just google them.
…and an added plus of Buck and Buck adaptive clothing , they will put a name label in the clothes free of charge .
@Palmetto Peg
I am sorry you are dealing with this not uncommon dementia-related behavior.
IME with both dad's and my aunt's MCFs resident undressing was addressed very proactively with one-piece adaptive clothing. Part of this is, of course, maintaining the dignity of their residents. But another piece to this is their obligation to provide a safe and calm environment for all residents. This behavior is something that could be upsetting to other residents and their families as they may see it in the context of sexual behavior even if it isn't.
HB
I'm definitely going to check out the clothing. I think I could just tell him it was his pajamas and I wanted him to be comfortable. Unfortunately, at his MC, there is little calm, just shock that he would come out naked! Thanks so much for the ideas.
I just ordered several garments for him. I'll let you know how he does!
