Harms relationships: Friends and family members, who are often vital sources of social support, often become annoyed and withdraw from the affected person, which only serves to raise stress levels for all parties.Of course, stress is a major trigger of OCD symptoms and needs to be managed effectively. They may be asking because they’re feeling stressed or anxious and need reassurance or to have a physical need met. She gets stuck easily on a subject and asks the same thing over and over. My wife had a brain injury in a car crash more than 1 1/2 years ago. For example, i would say something like "i ate at subway yesterday" and he would be like, "you mean subway, right? 1. You’d desperately ask the same questions over and over till your mind makes sense of the incident (with the help of relevant answers). Other times, the problem is a brain disorder, such as Alzheimer's disease, which cannot be reversed. Go over previous conversations or interactions in his mind. When to seek help: Everyone uses their friends as a sounding board, but if you catch yourself repeating the same question over and over—or if … When Dad asks the same question over and over again, we write the answer on a card. This example is pretty straightforward where you’re repeatedly asking questions to get answers. He tends to ask me the same question over and over even after i answered him or if i don't answer him, he will keep asking the same question till i answer him. Instead of asking us the same question over and over again, now he keeps reading the card we gave him. It seems to help lesson his anxiety and frustration. My friend is a technology consultant. 4 ways to respond when someone with Alzheimer’s is repeating the same things. and i'll be like "yea". But why would someone repeat something that is not necessarily a question? I understand how frustrated people get when I do this but I doubt their frustration can even compare with the anxiety I get if I don't find out the answer to my questions. Because the question he was asking wasn’t the question he really wanted her to answer. Visual prompts and cues seem to help him right now. People with dementia often carry out the same activity, make the same gesture, say the same thing, make the same noise or ask the same question over and over… I mostly just do it to my parents, my fiance and close friends. Again, the answer is the same. Her client is, as she said, a smart guy. She might ask when we’re going for a walk 20 times. He’s also a successful businessperson who freely admits that he’s got no time for technological details. People with dementia often carry out the same activity, make the same gesture, say the same thing, make the same noise or ask the same question over and over. (This is sometimes called “looping thoughts.”) Fidget or repeat an action over and over again, such as zipping and unzipping his coat or lining up all his toys in a row. Understanding why dementia patients ask the same question repeatedly may help you handle the situation without frustration. That might sound weird, but it’s true. I try not to get frustrated but I’ll answer her and what seems like seconds later, she’s asking me the same thing. This is especially true if you do not understand why it is happening. I have a HUGE problem with asking questions non-stop and repeating the same ones over an over. Continue to ask the same question long after getting an answer. Because, let’s face it—it’s annoying to answer the same question over and over again. Asking the same questions over and over again; Getting lost in familiar places; ... and cognition — the ability to clearly think, learn, and remember — improves. Eventually he moves onto something else. So when your older adult is repeating the same thing over and over, they’re not necessarily asking because they want an answer.