The Behavior Detective

As a caregiver for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease, it can be extremely worrying to experience the behavior problems associated with mid-stage Alzheimer’s disease, such as wandering, aggressiveness, hallucinations, or sleeping and eating difficulties. Many behavior problems are made worse by a poor environment and an inability to deal with stress. By learning how to make changes in the caring atmosphere, you can increase the quality of life for both your loved one and yourself.

 

Problem behavior is often a way a person  with Alzheimer’s tries to communicate with you. The progression of the disease means that they may no longer be able to communicate verbally, but they are still emotionally conscious and will remain so, often until the very end of life.

In many cases your loved one’s behavior is a reaction to an uncomfortable or stressful environment. If you can establish why he or she is stressed or what is triggering their discomfort, you should be able to resolve the problem behavior with greater ease. Remember that your loved one is not being deliberately difficult. Their sense of reality may be different to yours, but it’s still very real to them.

Here are a few suggestions to help you identify the causes of problem behavior:

• Try to put yourself in your loved one's situation. Look at their body language and imagine how they might be feeling and what they might be trying to express.
• Ask yourself what happened just before the problem behavior started? Did something trigger the behavior?
• Are your loved one’s needs being met?
• Does changing the environment or the atmosphere help to comfort him or her?
• How did you react to the problem behavior? Did your reaction help to soothe your loved one or did it make the behavior worse?

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