Is there a solution to an Alzheimer's patient taking off her clothing?
1 answer
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Last updated: Aug 24, 2010
Q
Is there a solution to an Alzheimer's patient taking off her clothes and her underwear? Are some garments harder to take off than others?
A
Beth Spencer is a social worker in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with more than 25 years of experience with families who have a member with...
The first thing to analyze is why and when she is taking off her clothes. Sometimes this is an indication of discomfort -- uncomfortable clothing, the person is too hot, she needs to use the bathroom, and so on. Keeping a log for a few days may give clues to when and why this behavior is occurring. There are garments that have been designed to be more difficult to take off , for example, one-piece outfits that fasten in the back. I'm always concerned about these, however. They have the potential to make the person very upset if they have an internal need to remove clothing. Figuring out why she has this need is a much better approach.
