Reduce Challenging Behaviors in Dementia by Determining the Cause

Does your loved one with Alzheimer's or another dementia struggle with challenging behaviors? One effective way to handle this is to try to determine what might be causing those behaviors.

All behavior has meaning, so what might your loved one be communicating to you? Here are three different causes of difficult behaviors to consider:

• Physical Causes of Challenging Behaviors, including pain, discomfort, and hunger.
• Psychological / Cognitive Causes of Challenging Behaviors, such as anxiety, boredom, and confusion.
• Environmental / External Causes of Challenging Behaviors; for example, too much noise, change in routine, or caregiver approach.

While there are several medications available for treating the behavioral and emotional symptoms of dementia, the first approach should be non-drug interventions, beginning with an analysis of the possible cause.

If your loved one with dementia has displayed difficult behaviors, have you been able to determine a cause for them?