Repetitive Questioning Exasperates Caregivers

• Published in: Gerontology and geriatric medicine Vol. 4; p. 2333721417738915
• Main Authors: Hamdy, R. C., Lewis, J. V., Copeland, R., Depelteau, A., Kinser, A., Kendall-Wilson, T., Whalen, K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.01.2018; Sage Publications Ltd; SAGE Publishing
• Subjects: Alzheimer's disease; Caregivers; Dementia; Teaching Case Studies: Managing Aberrant Behavior In Patients With Dementia; abuse; repetitive questions; aberrant behavior; Alzheimer’s/dementia
• ISSN: 2333-7214; 2333-7214
• DOI: 10.1177/2333721417738915

Repetitive questioning is due to an impaired episodic memory and is a frequent, often presenting, problem in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (amnestic type). It is due to the patients’ difficulties learning new information, retaining it, and recalling it, and is often aggravated by a poor attention span and easy distractibility. A number of factors may trigger and maintain repetitive questioning. Caregivers should try to identify and address these triggers. In the case discussion presented, it is due to the patient’s concerns about her and her family’s safety triggered by watching a particularly violent movie aired on TV. What went wrong in the patient/caregiver interaction and how it could have been avoided or averted are explored. Also reviewed are the impact of repetitive questioning, the challenges it raises for caregivers, and some effective intervention strategies that may be useful to diffuse the angst that caregivers experience with repetitive questioning.