A Guide to Understanding & Managing Dementia Behaviours

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It can be challenging to help your loved one with dementia if you don’t have the proper knowledge. Understanding dementia behaviours can enable you to assist your family member better and reduce stress for both of you.

When you’re unsure of the steps to take while managing dementia behaviours in a senior who lives with you, it might be time to reach out for professional help. Sagecare’s dementia care homes can provide cognitive support to seniors, allowing you to relax while knowing that your loved one is in good hands.

Understanding Dementia Behaviours

Seniors with dementia often feel anxious, confused, and irritated. Getting diagnosed with dementia is a major life-changing event, and it can be difficult for many people to cope with the way their brain reacts.

Dementia behaviour changes can be challenging for caregivers to handle, as it is a new experience for every family member. Take some time to educate yourself and identify the triggers that might be causing your loved one pain or discomfort.

Common Causes of Dementia Behaviours

There are many stages of Alzheimers where dementia behaviours can occur. Being aware of the triggers of challenging behaviour in dementia can help you change your loved one’s life and create a dementia behaviour management plan accordingly.

Easily Getting Irritated

When individuals are diagnosed with dementia, they go through a range of emotions. Some of the emotions might cause them to get irritated. They may try to recall someone’s name or a situation, and inability to do so may result in irritation or frustration.

Wandering Alone

Many seniors with dementia often wander alone, especially if they are alone. They may wander for many reasons, such as restlessness, inability to sleep, or searching for someone or something.

Our specialized staff at our memory care facilities help seniors stay safe by observing what triggers them to wander. Often, a senior with dementia may wander due to a nervous feeling in a crowded area. Although wandering can occur at any stage, it is usually more prevalent during the middle stages.

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Uninterested in Socializing

Some seniors with dementia might feel the urge to isolate themselves when they’re not feeling okay or unable to communicate their feelings. This could result in cancelling plans, avoiding phone calls, or getting irritated when asked to attend an event.

Sleep Issues & Sundowning

Dementia can disrupt a body’s normal cycle, affecting its body clock. According to Mayo Clinic, sleep disturbance may affect up to 25 percent of people with mild to moderate dementia and 50 percent of people with severe dementia.

Many seniors with dementia face sundowning, when late afternoon and early evening becomes challenging to handle. They may feel restless, agitated, or confused as daylight starts to fade. The National Institute on Aging suspects that sundowning could occur due to being overly tired, hunger/thirst, pain or boredom.

Feeling Paranoid

A senior with dementia might feel paranoid during certain events and become suspicious. They could feel jealous during certain times or accuse people of stealing one of their possessions. It is essential not to take this personally and avoid arguing during an encounter of this sort.

Managing Dementia Behaviours

Embracing appropriate strategies for dementia behaviour management will allow you to help your loved one with dementia behaviours. Sagecare’s high staffing to resident ratio allows all nurses to help each senior with their individual needs. Some methods that can reduce repetitive behaviour in dementia are listed below.

Modify the Environment to Reduce Stressors

The atmosphere where a senior with dementia resides plays a significant role in their behaviour. Certain stressors can create agitation and disorientation, such as mirrors, unidentifiable noises, or distracting lighting. Try to identify the triggers and change the environment by reducing any stressors you observe.

Reducing the potential stressors will allow your loved one to feel safe and comfortable in the environment and help calm down dementia behaviours, such as wandering or irritation.

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Maintain Calm Tone When Interacting

An individual with dementia is already dealing with stress. Even if your loved one is facing difficulties cooperating, try to be calm and speak to them in a neutral and relaxed tone. Getting upset or raising your voice at them might make them feel vulnerable or add to their pain.

If you’re unable to control your emotions, step away from them until you cool down. The last thing you want is to add to their burden of negative emotions.

Help Them Make Friends

One of the most common dementia behaviour changes is a senior’s lack of interest in socializing. But, socializing can help individuals with dementia in a few ways. Socialization has a positive effect on the brain and can increase one’s ability to manage emotions.

Engaging in activities and interacting with other people could help seniors feel happier. It may even take their minds off problems to feel more positive about life. Socializing also takes away boredom, which could be a leading cause of wandering or difficulty sleeping among many seniors with dementia.

Provide Reassurance When Possible

Your loved one with dementia will need your continuous support when they experience dementia behaviours. Help them cope by reassuring them that you’re always there to help and guide them on the right path. Speaking to them positively can help them feel comfortable and safe, reducing potential triggers that lead to negative behaviours.

Encourage Participation in Mental & Physical Activities

Participating in mental and physical activities both have their unique advantages. Sagecare offers a range of memory games for seniors to stimulate their brains and reduce the risk of cognitive decline. Keeping a senior’s mind active can slow memory loss and keep their brain functioning. Some options include puzzles, crosswords, or video games.

Physical activity is just as essential for a senior with dementia as it also keeps their brain working. It can also reduce stress, improve mood, and reduce certain dementia behaviours, such as wandering or agitation.

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Keep Things Simple

Studies have found that too many choices confuse individuals with dementia. So, you may need to narrow down options of many things, such as clothing or food, to help them make a more straightforward choice. Trying to decide between a few options can stress them out and lead to agitation or other challenging behaviours.

Remember to Take Care of Yourself

Caring for a loved one with dementia can be challenging, especially if they’ve been diagnosed recently. Don’t be too harsh on yourself if you cannot identify a trigger or immediately provide a solution to a problem.

Sagecare’s memory care homes can guide you in the right direction and help you take a break by helping create strategies for dementia behaviour management. Make use of our services and take care of yourself in the process. Let us help you provide your loved ones with the care they deserve!