Your aunt with dementia might be putting buttons in her coffee cup due to a condition called pica. Pica is when someone eats or tries to eat things that aren’t food. It can happen to people with dementia.
As dementia progresses, people sometimes do strange things with objects. They might forget what things are for or get confused about how to use them. Your aunt may not realize the buttons aren’t meant to go in her coffee.
Another possibility is that your aunt is trying to organize or collect the buttons. People with dementia often gather or hoard items, even if it doesn’t make sense to others. The coffee cup might seem like a good place to keep the buttons in her mind.
Sometimes, people with dementia also develop repetitive behaviors. Your aunt might find comfort in the act of putting buttons in the cup over and over again.
It’s also possible that your aunt is experiencing hallucinations or delusions. She might think the buttons are something else entirely, like sugar cubes or coffee beans.
This behavior, while odd, is not uncommon in people with dementia. It’s important to keep an eye on it to make sure she doesn’t try to drink the coffee with buttons in it, which could be dangerous.
If you’re concerned, talk to her doctor. They can help figure out if there’s a specific reason for this behavior and suggest ways to keep your aunt safe. In the meantime, you might want to use cups with lids or keep buttons out of reach to prevent accidents.
Remember, your aunt isn’t doing this on purpose to be difficult. It’s just part of how dementia affects her brain. Patience and understanding are key when dealing with these unusual behaviors.
