This has been one of the hardest and most mentally tiring things to deal with as a caregiver for my Mum (82). She repeats herself constantly and no longer retains anything. But last year, my stepdad would respond to her (and occasionally snap at her) that "I told you that already!" or "I've answered that question a thousand times already!" This would only hurt her feelings and damage her self-esteem, as she was very self-conscious about her memory loss. It has taken me and her health care team, as well as his own dawning of recognition, to realize this is a symptom of her illness and something she cannot help, so he is much more patient with her now. This is something to watch very carefully, as with an elderly caregiver, such as a spouse, the frustration with the constant repetition can result in abusive behaviour.

I have become very accustomed to just simply repeating the same information again, in a calm, patient and loving way. Our family is learning, as my nephew said, to shorten the answers or information each time. I try to give her keywords that she will understand, or little rhymes. She writes EVERYTHING down on her calendar, but unfortunately, then forgets she has written in down, or can't interpret what she's written, or obsesses about confirming everything in her calendar. This can result in multiple phone calls a day. She phoned her best friend 6 times on her birthday to sing "Happy Birthday" to her! (So sweet, but also so sad.)

I have also started to label with masking tape and big red marker her personal toiletries, because today's product names are not the same as she knew (such as "hair-setting lotion"), so we buy things for her and then she doesn't know what they are for, and keeps saying repeatedly "You know what I need? I need some [setting lotion]".

I found that moving the car he used to drive to another location where he doesn't see it helps a lot

Patience is the key. I know it is difficult to keep answering the same questions over and over. When my mom was like that, I would simply answer as if this were the first time she asked. Now that she is totally non-communicative, I would give anything to hear her ask a question again.

My Dad has 3 videos he likes to watch (ones he use to watch often when he was well.... Al Jolson, Al Jolson 2, and Grease) . To say I see each of them every day is no exaggeration; but, it keeps him entertained and i am able to get some things done throughout the day. I know for a fact, music is a universal language. That is the factor each movie shares. He can't follow dialoge, so since these are movies he already knew, and he "knows" the songs, it is great company for him to enjoy. My suggestion is try and entertain them with fond music , if not in a movie, mp3 headsets are another option. (Only about $8 on Amazon). You load their favorite songs onto a SD card and insert into the mp3 haheadset... Bam!.. entertainment for your loved one, and some sanity to get other things accomplished for you. Hope this is helpful. God Bless!

Check out the website GloriousOpportunities.org. it is set up by a Dr and former caregiver counselor for families of Alzheimer's patients. She has now been diagnosed with the disease, and is maintaining this site to explain what is going on inside her head. Unbelievable first hand information that totally changed my perspective. She also has a Facebook page with the same name. I wish I had found this site years ago. She also provides links to other resources, and to videos/interviews with other patients and caregivers.