Step by Step: Understanding Dementia Behavior

While many of us may associate aging with significant memory loss, the two do not go hand in hand. While some memory loss is normal with aging, memory loss that interferes with daily living, loss of reasoning ability, and impaired intellectual capacity are three signs of dementia, a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life. However, “dementia is not a diagnosis,” opened Alexis Glidewell, LCSW, at her talk for Avenues to Wellness’ speaker series event. “Rather, it is a term that describes a range of symptoms, and is caused by illness or injury to the brain.” Other common symptoms of dementia include impairments in communication, language, ability to focus and pay attention, and visual perception, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Many of us have family members or friends who suffer from dementia. In order to aid us in better communicating with our loved ones, Glidewell presented principles for communication with a person with Dementia, including:

• Recognize that behavior, even in a confused person, results from a cause. Something triggers the behavior – behavior is always an attempt to fill an unmet need, whatever that need may be: control, autonomy, or familiarity, for example.
• Learn that to enhance communication with a person with dementia requires a commitment to remain connected regardless of the content of the conversation. “People who don’t feel seen or heard get bigger and louder,” Glidewell added.
• Understand that changing behavior takes time, effort, and patience. Reward yourself often for working toward change.

When interacting with an individual who has dementia, focus in on the emotion that is being expressed. Glidewell gave an example: if your loved one accuses you repeatedly (and wrongly) of stealing her purse, respond in a way that speaks to the emotions she is likely feeling – fear, anger, or insecurity. Reassure her that you will help her find her purse, empathize with her that it must be awful that her purse was stolen, and then use a distraction to change the course of the conversation. Using a distraction after addressing her concern will help your loved one feel that she was really being heard, decreasing the amount of fear, anger, and insecurity that she had previously felt. As you make an effort to help your loved one feel more comfortable in her environment, the frequency of her accusations will likely decrease.

It is important to remember to care for yourself in addition to caring for your loved ones. A caregiver support group meets every third Wednesday of the month from 10 am to 12 pm at the Ukiah Senior Center. A service provided through Redwood Caregiver Resource Center, this group provides a space for caregivers in which they can share their individual challenges and find constructive ways to handle their specific situation. For more information about this program, call (800) 834-1636.

Avenues to Wellness was created especially for Inland Mendocino County by the Frank R. Howard Foundation. Visit www.avenuestowellness.org or email atwforhealth@gmail.com for more information and for the upcoming ATW Speaker Series presentation at the Willits Senior Center the first Tuesday of each month.

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Emily is currently serving as a Community HealthCorps Educator for the Alliance for Rural Community Health in Mendocino County. She is a recent graduate of the University of Wisconsin - Madison, majoring in Kinesiology, and is attending medical school in the fall at the University of Arizona - Phoenix."