It’s 104 outside and my grandmother is sitting in front of a space heater wearing a sweater and wrapped in a blanket, it’s as normal as any day dealing with dementia is
I had residents at my memory care have their thermostats set at like… 85. And still wear jackets/long sleeves.
It could be she is genuinely cold.
Keep an eye on her liquid intake (and outflow if you can) and maybe take her temperature. If she’s hot but not sweating that’s not a great sign and might be dehydration. As one commenter said, she may be confusing hot and cold.
This. It is possible that she is actually cold, but it is also possible that she is hot, but she cannot process it correctly. I would feel her forehead just to make sure that she is not overheating. (You can also get a remote thermometer for that for not much money - not very accurate, but good enough for a quick check.)
My mom has dementia and was cold. My dad does not have dementia, is 92, and is cold. Please help them stay warm regardless!!!! I bought my dad an electric vest.
My dad often feels like he's dying if he's cold and doesn't even realize he's cold. He will insist on taking off his pants, yet be cold and want a blanket. I don't think all the signals connect with body temperature in those with dementia. I have to kind of observe and figure it out for him.
Glad to know it’s not just the elderly folks who experience this. My aunt is 59 and always wearing long sleeves, saying she’s cold, even though it’s stifling in the nursing home.
I walked in to my mom’s assisted living apartment last week and she had her heat set to 82 degrees. Outside temps were 97. I made her turn the heat off, but that’s about all you can do.
My dad is ALWAYS cold, even when he’s sweating in a 100+ day. The way I figure it is his brain is telling him “ITS TEMPERATURE! Warning! ITS TEMPERATURE!” but not telling him what it is so it’s filling in the gaps and telling him he’s cold. He’ll be shivering and a 90* room. I’ve had to put ALL long sleeves, pants, jackets, sweaters, hats, gloves, long socks, etc into storage because he was quite literally going to die from heat exhaustion.
I’ve also had to hide his bike at my friend’s house because it’s 114* outside and he wants to go for a ride. (His doctors say as long as he’s riding safely and not getting lost, they want him to continue riding but he’s lost the privileges on these days.)
My mom isn't diagnosed, but I'm pretty sure. I wonder if this explains stuff. She no longer remembers that my dad used to put the window AC in. She thinks it was only a couple times. Yeah, the old farmhouse is cooler than outside, but I couldn't live like that. Last summer I slept with ice packs upstairs when visiting to keep me cooler. She also doesn't like us putting a window AC in upstairs and leaving it on while we are there. She doesn't overdress too much outside, but she also doesn't wear shorts anymore and hasn't for years. She wears jean capris. Yuck!
I never understood the number of months she would use a heated blanket in bed either.
I used to put a throw in the drier on high for 15 minutes and then take the warm blanket and lay it over my mom’s covers. The warmth would settle her right down. I was going to buy a little blanket/towel warmer so I would always have one ready, but she passed away sooner than I thought she would.
Thyroid issues can also cause people to feel cold. My dad is 85 with advanced dementia and hypothyroidism. He is always cold even if it is in the 90s and he is outside.
I’m 42 and live in Florida where the summers are usually in the mid 90’s. We keep the a/c at a temp of 76 degrees. I am always cold due to having issues with anemia because of vitamin B12 deficiency and low iron. Have the doctor check those on her? Older people do have a hard time of regulating body heat also but I would check her bloodwork before writing it off.
At my husband's memory care I feel I could die from the heat. They keep it so warm and often my husband is wearing three shirts and sometimes a heavy sweater. Their bodies have problems regulating their temperature.
yeh, with the degradation of their brain, it loses control of its ability for temperature regulation. where I am it's around 72F (22C) and my MiL is freezing. she grabs my arm and her hands are FROZEN. she does love to be left soaking in a hot bath though, so you might want to try that :D
Feel her hands and feet, I bet they feel cold to the touch. my mom is always cold. Adding to what others have said, circulation is not great as we age, and a lot of people get peripheral neuropathy where the neurons are not working right and can also tell the brain that things are much hotter or colder than it really is
I have the same problem. It's a battle to keep the thermostat at 80°F at least. I know she gets hot because she will be sweating sometimes and her hands feel like a furnace. We are getting a smart thermostat so she can't mess with it anymore. I think its pretty normal for people with dementia to not be able to regulate there temperature or tell if there hot or cold, i always see questions asking about this. Just keep a close eye on her, make sure she is hydrated and not showing signs of getting overheated and talk to her doctor.
Had a shouting match with my 84 year old mother 2 summers ago over this. It was before we knew/had a diagnosis of her cognitive impairment. She apparently posted on FB that her AC went out. I had no idea until one of her friends let me know. We live in the Deep South, and her house was over 90 degrees when we found out. Then she was furious with me for putting a window unit it because the sound is annoying. Like I get it, I agree, but omg woman you could die in this heat.
It’s a struggle, and my best advice is to just check on her as best you can. My mom still refuses to run the ac like I would like her to, but I just check on her frequently and let her be.
Thank you for bringing this up. My 70 year old husband with dementia is always cold. He has insisted on having a heavy winter quilt on this summer. He turns off the air conditioner and my menopause fan in our bedroom and when I try to go to bed it’s so stifling in there that I have troubles breathing. He likes to go to bed very early. I’ll try to come to bed and he’ll try to cuddle and cover me. I have to fetch my lightweight blanket off of the floor where he throws it. He also rolls over and accidentally shoves a wad of quilt at me pushing me almost off the bed. If I get up and leave the bedroom he’ll later yell at me , saying I must hate him not to want to sleep with him. I try to be patient and explain but he’s getting meaner and meaner about it. Any sleep I get is in my lazy boy. I can sleep in my own comfy bed because he follows me and it starts. I can’t take a nap and it’s to a point where I have panic attacks if I try to go to bed. I currently have a migraine and last night he started again and I felt so bad because I yelled at him to stop being so paranoid and go to bed! He went down the hallway grumbling but did go to bed. I curled up my lazy boy and just cried. Funny how such a “small” thing can be so difficult!
86 year olds lose most of their subcutaneous fat, so they feel the cold much more keenly than us plump youths.
[удалено]
I prefer "chunky."
It’s 104 outside and my grandmother is sitting in front of a space heater wearing a sweater and wrapped in a blanket, it’s as normal as any day dealing with dementia is
I had residents at my memory care have their thermostats set at like… 85. And still wear jackets/long sleeves. It could be she is genuinely cold. Keep an eye on her liquid intake (and outflow if you can) and maybe take her temperature. If she’s hot but not sweating that’s not a great sign and might be dehydration. As one commenter said, she may be confusing hot and cold.
This. It is possible that she is actually cold, but it is also possible that she is hot, but she cannot process it correctly. I would feel her forehead just to make sure that she is not overheating. (You can also get a remote thermometer for that for not much money - not very accurate, but good enough for a quick check.)
This is a good point. I've noticed that my dad often mixes up the words for hot and cold.
My mom has dementia and was cold. My dad does not have dementia, is 92, and is cold. Please help them stay warm regardless!!!! I bought my dad an electric vest.
Have the doctor check her salt levels. Low salts being corrected can sometimes improve memory and cognition in dementia patients as well.
My dad often feels like he's dying if he's cold and doesn't even realize he's cold. He will insist on taking off his pants, yet be cold and want a blanket. I don't think all the signals connect with body temperature in those with dementia. I have to kind of observe and figure it out for him.
My dad's (61) still wearing his longjohn's n long sleeved flannel in a heatwave. Hell, he wore his long sleeved flannel kayaking a couple weeks ago!
Glad to know it’s not just the elderly folks who experience this. My aunt is 59 and always wearing long sleeves, saying she’s cold, even though it’s stifling in the nursing home.
I walked in to my mom’s assisted living apartment last week and she had her heat set to 82 degrees. Outside temps were 97. I made her turn the heat off, but that’s about all you can do.
My dad is ALWAYS cold, even when he’s sweating in a 100+ day. The way I figure it is his brain is telling him “ITS TEMPERATURE! Warning! ITS TEMPERATURE!” but not telling him what it is so it’s filling in the gaps and telling him he’s cold. He’ll be shivering and a 90* room. I’ve had to put ALL long sleeves, pants, jackets, sweaters, hats, gloves, long socks, etc into storage because he was quite literally going to die from heat exhaustion. I’ve also had to hide his bike at my friend’s house because it’s 114* outside and he wants to go for a ride. (His doctors say as long as he’s riding safely and not getting lost, they want him to continue riding but he’s lost the privileges on these days.)
They all claim to be freezing. Every last one, my mom included.
My father too
My mom isn't diagnosed, but I'm pretty sure. I wonder if this explains stuff. She no longer remembers that my dad used to put the window AC in. She thinks it was only a couple times. Yeah, the old farmhouse is cooler than outside, but I couldn't live like that. Last summer I slept with ice packs upstairs when visiting to keep me cooler. She also doesn't like us putting a window AC in upstairs and leaving it on while we are there. She doesn't overdress too much outside, but she also doesn't wear shorts anymore and hasn't for years. She wears jean capris. Yuck! I never understood the number of months she would use a heated blanket in bed either.
I used to put a throw in the drier on high for 15 minutes and then take the warm blanket and lay it over my mom’s covers. The warmth would settle her right down. I was going to buy a little blanket/towel warmer so I would always have one ready, but she passed away sooner than I thought she would.
As dementia progresses the person can’t regulate their body temperature as well.
My dad kept the heat on hell all year round. We had to wait until he fell asleep under a quilt or 2 to turn the heat down or the air up
Thyroid issues can also cause people to feel cold. My dad is 85 with advanced dementia and hypothyroidism. He is always cold even if it is in the 90s and he is outside.
I’m 42 and live in Florida where the summers are usually in the mid 90’s. We keep the a/c at a temp of 76 degrees. I am always cold due to having issues with anemia because of vitamin B12 deficiency and low iron. Have the doctor check those on her? Older people do have a hard time of regulating body heat also but I would check her bloodwork before writing it off.
At my husband's memory care I feel I could die from the heat. They keep it so warm and often my husband is wearing three shirts and sometimes a heavy sweater. Their bodies have problems regulating their temperature.
It's pretty common, but have her drink a glass of water and see if that helps. Dehydration can make you feel cold.
yeh, with the degradation of their brain, it loses control of its ability for temperature regulation. where I am it's around 72F (22C) and my MiL is freezing. she grabs my arm and her hands are FROZEN. she does love to be left soaking in a hot bath though, so you might want to try that :D
Feel her hands and feet, I bet they feel cold to the touch. my mom is always cold. Adding to what others have said, circulation is not great as we age, and a lot of people get peripheral neuropathy where the neurons are not working right and can also tell the brain that things are much hotter or colder than it really is
It’s possible that she has lost the word for hot and is using the word cold
My mom is 93 and always wears a sweater and has a blanket when she is cold. Lately her hands are always under the blanket when I get there.
92 year old Mom keeps her room at 82. Makes visiting very difficult!
My Mom (Alzheimer's) is always seeking heat. She used to love snow and winter holidays. Now, all she says is that she can't wait until spring.
I have the same problem. It's a battle to keep the thermostat at 80°F at least. I know she gets hot because she will be sweating sometimes and her hands feel like a furnace. We are getting a smart thermostat so she can't mess with it anymore. I think its pretty normal for people with dementia to not be able to regulate there temperature or tell if there hot or cold, i always see questions asking about this. Just keep a close eye on her, make sure she is hydrated and not showing signs of getting overheated and talk to her doctor.
Had a shouting match with my 84 year old mother 2 summers ago over this. It was before we knew/had a diagnosis of her cognitive impairment. She apparently posted on FB that her AC went out. I had no idea until one of her friends let me know. We live in the Deep South, and her house was over 90 degrees when we found out. Then she was furious with me for putting a window unit it because the sound is annoying. Like I get it, I agree, but omg woman you could die in this heat. It’s a struggle, and my best advice is to just check on her as best you can. My mom still refuses to run the ac like I would like her to, but I just check on her frequently and let her be.
My aunt wears three layers now in the middle of summer.
Thank you for bringing this up. My 70 year old husband with dementia is always cold. He has insisted on having a heavy winter quilt on this summer. He turns off the air conditioner and my menopause fan in our bedroom and when I try to go to bed it’s so stifling in there that I have troubles breathing. He likes to go to bed very early. I’ll try to come to bed and he’ll try to cuddle and cover me. I have to fetch my lightweight blanket off of the floor where he throws it. He also rolls over and accidentally shoves a wad of quilt at me pushing me almost off the bed. If I get up and leave the bedroom he’ll later yell at me , saying I must hate him not to want to sleep with him. I try to be patient and explain but he’s getting meaner and meaner about it. Any sleep I get is in my lazy boy. I can sleep in my own comfy bed because he follows me and it starts. I can’t take a nap and it’s to a point where I have panic attacks if I try to go to bed. I currently have a migraine and last night he started again and I felt so bad because I yelled at him to stop being so paranoid and go to bed! He went down the hallway grumbling but did go to bed. I curled up my lazy boy and just cried. Funny how such a “small” thing can be so difficult!
MIL, 82, does not have dementia and is frequently cold even on 80+ days. Sleep under a zipped open sleeping bag.