Behaviour changes that may be particularly stressful 

Dementia changes the way people behave, think or act. This not only affects the person living with dementia, but can also be distressing and upsetting for carers, like you.

”Any behaviour that gets you or the person you care for upset is stressful.”

In this introduction you will learn:

How you can identify behaviors that are potentially upsetting, stressful or difficult for you and the person you care for.
How you might handle behaviour changes.
How you might change circumstances to reduce or prevent behaviour changes.
1.Activity
Does the person you care for ever experience any of the following behaviour changes?
Please select any that apply.
Behaviour changes Example
Forgetting or losing things, not being able to recall recent events or remember dates and days of the week.
Talking or acting in a threatening way, or doing things that make you feel frightened.
Feeling sad, worried, frightened, frustrated or angry, being unusually emotional, crying, agitated or restless, withdrawn, unhappy, apathetic or reacting slowly.
Restless at night, waking you or other family members up.
Misinterpreting the world, having fixed false beliefs, things a person sees or hears that are not there or becomes suspicious of those around them.
Repeating a question or an action over and over.
Continuously walking around, leaving the house and getting lost.
Saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, acting inappropriately in a situation, not understanding own limitations.
None of these symptoms are present at this point in time.

Remember

  • Many things can cause behavior changes that are upsetting to you or the person you care for. This can have a bad effect on your relationship with the person you care for.
  • It can even make you feel sad, angry, confused, or anxious. In some instances, you might even feel as though you can’t cope with the situation.
  • In this lesson you will learn what you can do to reduce or prevent these situations.