About Dementia

Tips for caring for a person with Dementia

Tips for managing problem behaviour in Dementia

Caring for a loved one with dementia poses many challenges for families and caregivers.

People with dementia find it more and more difficult to remember things, think clearly, communicate with others, or take care of themselves. Dementia can also cause mood swings and even change a person’s personality and behavior. ere are some tips to handle a person with dementia.

• People with dementia often feel confused, anxious and unsure of themselves. Further, they often get reality confused and may recall things that never really occurred. Do not argue with them or try to convince them. 
• Many people with dementia may not remember what happened 30 minutes ago, but they can clearly recall their lives 30 years earlier. Remembering the past with them sooths them.  
• Set a positive mood by speaking to your loved one in a pleasant and respectful manner. Use facial expressions, tone of voice and physical touch to help convey your message and show your feelings of affection.
• Limit distractions and noise—turn off the radio or TV, close the curtains or shut the door, or move to quieter surroundings.
• Before speaking, make sure you have the persons attention; address the person by name. Each time, identify yourself by name and relation. Maintain eye contact.
• Use simple words and sentences. Speak slowly, distinctly and calmly. do not raising your voice. If the person does not  understand the first time, repaet it using the same wording. If the person still does not understand, wait a few minutes and rephrase the question.
• Use the names of people and places instead of pronouns or abbreviations.
• Ask one question at a time; Do not ask questions that require the person to choose; show the choices and ask the person to point to the choice; Use question that require a yes or no answer; Do not ask complicated questions or questions that require a detailed answer.
• Be patient and in wait for the person to reply. If the person struggles for an answer, suggest words.
• Do not try to test their memory and do not ask questions about anything that happened in the last 2 days. 
• Break down activities into a series of steps. This makes many tasks much more manageable. You can encourage your loved one to do what he can, gently remind him of steps he tends to forget, and assist with steps he’s no longer able to accomplish on his own. Using visual cues, such as showing him with your hand where to place the dinner plate, can be very helpful.

You can best meet the challenges of the personality and behavior changes by using creativity, flexibility, patience and compassion.

• Do not try to control the behaviour, but accommodate the behavior, not control the behavior. For example, if the person insists on sleeping on the floor, place a mattress on the floor to make him / her more comfortable.
• Do not try to change the behaviour of the person with dementia. You cannot. But you can change your behavior or the physical environment the person is in.. Try changing your own behavior, and the behaviour of the person with dementia may change.
• An underlying physical problem, such as pain or discomfort, may be causing the behaviour. 
• The person with dementia may have a purpose for the behaviour, that he / she is unable to communicate to you. Always try to figure out what purpose the person might be trying to meet with the behavior—and, when possible, try to accommodate them.
• Understand that all behavior is triggered—it doesn’t occur out of the blue. It might be something you said or did or it could be a change in the physical environment. Try a different approach.
• Solutions that are effective today may need to be modified tomorrow—or may no longer work at all. The key to managing difficult behaviors is being creative and flexible in your strategies to address a given issue.
• When your loved one becomes upset, try changing the subject or the environment. Respond with verbal and physical expressions of comfort, support and reassurance. Sometimes holding hands, touching, hugging and praise will help.
• When all else fails try to laugh off the matter. Do not laugh at the person but try to convert the whole episode into a humourous one that will make the person laugh with you.