Question
What causes a person with dementia to talk endlessly for hours and makes him often not able to be comforted?
— Caring.com Community Member, Rendezvous 747
Answer
Expert Based in Land O' Lakes, Florida, Joyce Simard is a social worker and geriatric consultant specializing in dementia care. She's the author of The End-of-Life Namaste Care Program for People With Dementia and the children's book The Magic Tape Recorder .
It’s called verbal agitation and perhaps it happens because the person has lost some inhibitions that remind him to stop talking. I also think that sometimes they are saying, “I’m still here” and the endless talking or physical movements are ways they can communicate that. This behavior passes as the dementia eventually affects the ability to speak. If this behavior bothers him, medication to calm him may help. If it bothers you, but not him I’m afraid you must put up with it.
If he can eat something or safely suck on a lollypop it might keep him quiet for some period of time. You can also try headphones with music he might enjoy.
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