What is repetition?

People with dementia repeat words, questions or actions mainly because damage to brain cells affects memory, so they may not remember that they just asked or did something. The Alzheimer's Association says that in most cases the person is probably looking for comfort, security and familiarity. Changes in surroundings can make it worse, and repetition can also be a way of expressing a worry or anxiety.

Someone with dementia may ask the same question repeatedly because they do not remember asking it, or because the question carries a worry they cannot otherwise express. The Alzheimer's Association says repeated questions may be an attempt to voice a specific concern, ask for help, or cope with frustration, anxiety or insecurity. It advises giving the answer calmly, even several times, rather than arguing.

Stay calm, give the answer the person is looking for, and respond to the feeling behind the question. The Alzheimer's Association suggests looking for a pattern or trigger, writing the answer down and posting it where it can be seen if the person can still read, using memory aids such as clocks, calendars, notes and photos, and offering a pleasant activity if the person seems bored.

It can be. The Alzheimer's Association lists asking the same questions over and over among the common signs of memory loss that disrupts daily life, one of the warning signs of Alzheimer's, especially in the early stage. By contrast, it describes sometimes forgetting names or appointments but remembering them later as a typical age-related change. New, frequent repetition is worth raising with a doctor.

Repetition shows up in more than one stage. The Alzheimer's Association names asking the same questions over and over as a common sign in the early stage of Alzheimer's, and lists compulsive, repetitive behavior such as hand-wringing or tissue shredding among the changes of the middle stage. Because people move through the disease at different rates, the behavior alone does not pinpoint a stage.