Exhibit confusion
Have anxiety and/or depression
Refuse to bathe, take medications, eat, get dressed etc
Have Repetitive behaviours- making phone calls, questions,
Make sexually inappropriate gestures/comments
Have sleep disturbances- awake in the night, sleep during the day
Wandering
Verbally Aggressive
Be paranoid, suspicious, have hallucinations
Common Behaviors and Strategies
Remember that ALL Dementia clients are different and exhibit different behaviors. The below Strategies are meant as a guideline and should be communicated with family members for their appropriateness for their loved one.
Wandering- Walks away from home unattended with the risk of becoming lost
- Look for an immediate cause.
- Reassure the person and distract with another activity.
- Ensure regular walks and exercise.
- Put reminders (i.e., coat, hat) out of sight and reach.
Restlessness– Paces nervously, drums fingers, etc. for long periods of time
- Distract the person- find a meaningful activity.
- Use music or touch to help calm them
- Maybe consider pacing as a form of exercise (make sure the way is clear).
- Look for a pattern and arrange your schedule to be with her at that time.
Aggression- Physical and emotional outbursts (i.e., shouting, hitting)
- Be calm and reassuring.
- Look for an immediate cause. Remove the cause of possible.
- Give them space to cool down.
- Provide a distraction.
Repeated actions- Repeats words or actions over and over and over again
- If the behavior does not bother you, do nothing.
- Distract with simple activities (i.e., folding laundry, polishing the furniture, shoes, etc.)
- Change the subject.
Suspicion- Thinks others are trying to harm them
- Accuses others of stealing possessions
- Provide comfort.
- Don’t argue or try to reason with them
- Don’t take accusations personally.
- Distract with another activity.
Sexual behavior – Removing clothes/exposing self
- Physical and verbal advances towards others
- Don’t judge or scold.
- Provide affection.
- Look for unrelated needs (Do they need to use the toilet? Are they lonely or bored? Are they too hot or cold?)
- Distract with other activities.
- Provide privacy.
