Five ways to help a distressed person with dementia
Professor June A.
Professor Emeritus @ University of Stirling | Public Health, Healthcare Management
Dementia isn’t only about memory.? It changes a wide range of behaviour.? Some changes cause more difficulties for family and friends than others.?
All behaviour is communication, and the behaviour is sometimes an expression of distress because the person has an unmet need that you need to uncover and support.? They might be bored or lonely, frightened, or tired, hungry, or needing to go to the bathroom.
Some of the key behaviours that carers find difficult to respond to include agitation, anxiety, aggression, pacing about, and repetition.?
When the person is frightened or frustrated, they may misunderstand the attempts of carers to sooth them, and a frightened person is more likely to behave with aggression.?
It’s all caused by the pathology in the brain and learning how to make someone feel better is helped if you know the person well.
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Here are five things you can do—if the behaviour of someone you are caring shows that they are in distress, and you are trying to help them.
Read the original article on my website (tap the link!) https://juneandrews.net/dementia-and-older-people-blog/17/1/2024/five-ways-to-help-a-distressed-person-with-dementia