I understand that many people with dementia fold clothing, towels, blankets and basically anything else she can get her hands on. I try to ignore it mostly. Sometimes I even give her things to fold unless she gets agitated which sometimes happens. My concern is at night. I'm putting her to bed and covering her with blankets. When I watch in the monitor or even before she falls asleep and I'm sitting with her, she's constantly folding up her blankets then being freezing. I can't afford to turn up the heat really high at night as it costs a lot of money first off (I'm not working since I'm caring for her and in the state of Maine I am only allotted 3 hours a day of care not long enough to even get to a job much less work) and second off I'd roast. Sometimes she'll even start to fold up her clothing on her completely leaving herself open to the cold air. She has a cold which I think is from that. Anyone have any suggestions on how to keep her warm and yet not have it cost a ton of money. I've thought about placing a heater next to her bed but I'm worried she might mess with it when I'm sleeping or place a blanket on it and have it catch on fire.
I also think there are one piece flannel outfits that zip down the back, which make it difficult for an elder to remove.
Could she have something else to fold while she is falling asleep? Washclothes are a good size for this purpose.
You might also ask her doctor(s) if Melatonin would affect any of her meds. It's a natural sleeping pill w/o side effects such as the PM meds or heavy duty ones like Ambien.
Many people need darkness to fall asleep (I use a sleep mask) so that was a great discovery that perhaps other caregivers can learn from.
I am concerned with the interruptions to your own sleep. Of course young parents get up with babies every 3 hours or more often, but they are pretty groggy during that period and they can look forward to the time when they can once again sleep through the night. Does someone else help during the day? Do you get down time? Being sleep deprived for long stretches of time is really not healthy for you, and you need all the health you can get!