Dealing With Poor Behavior

"If the caregiver can determine what is causing the behavior, they can often reduce or eliminate it by addressing the underlying cause." Michele Mongillo, RN, MSN

Infections, pain, confusion, fear, dehydration, sleep deficits -- all can cause behavior problems.  It is important to speak calmly with someone who has dementia and is upset.  I make a policy of never arguing, nor trying to convince him of a different reality than the one he sees.  When he told me recently that the scrapes on his forehead and nose were caused by him driving a golf cart into other golf carts, I merely responded, "bummer."  What else is there to say?  He is falling more.  He is having more hallucinations, and his hallucinations are his reality.  Only if it is important to decrease his anxiety level do I correct him gently.  For instance, when he worried that he had left a car parked some where and he could not remember where and he was worried that he would get a ticket or it would be towed away, I offered to check in our garage to see if our vehicles were accounted for.  I was able to tell him that all vehicles were accounted for and that he did not need to worry that he had left one somewhere, and it gave him great peace of mind.  I could actually see him relax physically.  There is no need for him to carry more worries than this disease actually creates.