Practical Tips to Handle Changes in Behaviors with Dementia
Person-centered steps for responding to dementia behavior changes, including when to seek prompt medical help and how to access the subscriber guide.
Changes in behavior can happen with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, but they are not the same for every person or every stage. A change may be a way of communicating discomfort, fear, stress, or an unmet need rather than a deliberate choice.
What a change in behavior may mean
Before focusing on the behavior itself, consider possible physical, medication, communication, and environmental causes. Pain, illness or infection, a recent medication change, poor sleep, hunger or thirst, constipation, too much noise, or a disrupted routine may contribute. The National Institute on Aging’s guidance on personality and behavior changes explains these possible causes and practical responses.
Seek prompt help for a sudden change. Sudden or rapidly fluctuating behavior changes—especially after an infection or medication change—should be brought to a doctor’s attention promptly. If anyone is in immediate danger, move to safety and contact emergency services.
How to respond safely
- Pause and check whether the person or anyone nearby is in immediate danger.
- Look for new pain, illness, medication changes, hunger, thirst, fatigue, constipation, or another unmet need. Note when the change began and what happened just before it.
- Reduce noise and demands. Use a calm voice, simple choices, and one step at a time.
- Acknowledge the person’s feelings and avoid arguing. Redirect to a familiar, reassuring activity when that is safe.
- Contact the person’s clinician about new, worsening, or concerning changes. Medication decisions should be diagnosis-specific and clinician-led.
Caregivers also need breaks and support. When it is safe to step away, ask another trusted person to take over. For a broader planning approach, read our caregiver guide to understanding and responding to dementia behaviors.
Behavior changes vary over time
There is no single stage-by-stage pattern that everyone follows. Agitation, withdrawal, sleep changes, hallucinations, wandering, or other changes can occur for different reasons and at different times. An individualized response is safer than assuming a behavior is inevitable or simply part of a particular stage.
Access the downloadable guide
The 132 KB PDF below is available to Caregiver Relief subscribers. Subscribe or sign in to access it. The guide provides additional general caregiving tips; it does not replace advice from a clinician who knows the person’s medical history.