Dementia is a brain disorder that causes a range of personality and behavior changes in affected seniors. Older people with the condition may act differently than their usual self. Caregivers can nevertheless manage these behavior changes in their elderly loved ones.
Why do personality and behavior changes occur?
A host of changes occur as dementia progresses. Memory, thinking skills, and other important cognitive functions begin to decline. Along with the myriad of symptoms are changes to personality and behavior. Changes in behavior can occur for many different reasons.
In seniors diagnosed with dementia, the behavior changes are due to the loss of neurons (or cells) in parts of the brain. The specific behavior changes that develop are a result of which parts of the brain lose neurons as dementia progresses.
Frontal lobes in the brain may be impacted by dementia, for instance. These are the parts of the brain that control a senior’s ability to focus, pay attention, and stay motivated. When cells in the frontal lobes are lost, the senior is less able to plan and remain focused.
Furthermore, neurons lost in the frontal lobes can result in the senior becoming more passive and less motivated. Since the frontal lobes control an individual’s impulses, dementia patients with deficits in this part of the brain may start to act rudely or insensitively.
What types of changes occur?
Dementia causes a person to change how he responds to the environment. A person with Alzheimer’s disease may become forgetful or experience difficulty following conversations, for instance. As a result of being unable to follow, the senior becomes frustrated or angry.
Changes to behavior can result in dementia patients because everyday situations become too difficult to process or understand. Noise, conversations, and crowds are overstimulating. Consequently, the person living with dementia may behave in ways that are unlike their usual self.
Behaviors are also apt to change when medical issues arise. Urinary tract infections, for example, can cause pain; however, a senior with dementia may be unable to explain the pain or describe it. Instead, they act out or become angry. Medications, too, can cause behavioral changes.
In addition to anger, acting out, and rude behavior, seniors with dementia may hide items or believe others are hiding them. Dementia patients may imagine people or things that are not actually there. They may wander, pace frequently, hit others, or misunderstand what they hear or see.
What are tips to manage these changes?
- Keep activities simple
Caregivers are unable to stop the aforementioned changes in personality and behavior. However, family members and professional caregivers can successfully manage these changes. Keeping conversations and activities simple is recommended so that seniors with dementia can follow what is happening.
- Establish routines
Routines help dementia patients. Seniors with the condition thrive when they know what to expect on a daily basis. Serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the same times each day. Establish a daily morning and bedtime routine. Schedule exercise in a similar manner.
- Provide reassurance
Interacting with a dementia patient requires some adjustment. Reassurance goes a long way in letting the senior know the caregiver is there to help. Avoid arguments, and do not try to reason with an aging adult when dementia symptoms, such as imagining things, arise.
- Stay calm
Inevitably, caregivers will succumb to frustration and anger upon interacting with a dementia patient. It’s important for caregivers to not show their frustration. Instead, take a deep breath, count to 10, or leave the room for a few minutes if it is safe to do so.
- Maintain safety
As mentioned, older adults with dementia may pace frequently. Manage this behavior by giving them a safe place to walk. Remove clutter from the walkways to prevent stumbling and falling. Provide the senior with a comfortable pair of walking shoes. Ensure they eat and hydrate.
- Distract the senior
Distractions are helpful when dementia symptoms manifest and the senior acts out. Caregivers might break out in song, dance, or play music to distract the care recipient. Another form of distraction is asking for help. Caregivers can say, “Let’s fold the clothes” or “Help me set the table.”
- Discuss issues with the doctor
Managing changes in personality and behavior can also be done by including the senior’s physician. Discuss with the doctor the older adult’s problems, such as hitting, biting, or hallucinations. The doctor can prescribe medications that help ease some behavioral symptoms.
- Accept the changes
Accepting the alterations in behavior and personality is one of the best ways to cope. Caregivers must realize the senior acts differently because of their disease and not out of a deliberate intention to be difficult. Talking to other caregivers can also be helpful for learning effective coping strategies.
Dementia symptoms only worsen as the condition progresses. Families may need extra help to ensure that the senior remains safe and lives a good quality of life at home. Assisting Hands Home Care dementia services offer the necessary care to ensure the senior’s well-being.
Our dementia care providers are trained to identify dementia symptoms. We are skilled in de-escalating volatile situations and stabilizing seniors who become agitated or frustrated. Caregivers understand that the outbursts are due to dementia and not an aspect of the senior’s personality.
Incontinence is expected in dementia patients. Our dementia caregivers discreetly assist seniors with toileting, bathing, and other personal hygiene tasks. We also prepare meals, shop for groceries, give medication reminders, provide transportation to doctors’ offices, and remain a steady companion.
Caregivers at Assisting Hands Home Care keep aging adults mentally stimulated by reading books, playing simple card games, and initiating craft projects. Your elderly loved one will remain socially engaged with our compassionate caregivers, which helps prevent loneliness and isolation.
Seniors with dementia should never be left alone at home. Assisting Hands Home Care supports the health and safety of older adults living in Collegeville, King of Prussia, Limerick, Norristown, West Norriton, PA and the surrounding areas. Schedule an in-home consultation with us and we’ll develop a flexible care plan. Call us at (610) 541-2515 today to start quality dementia care.
