Dementia changes how your elderly family member’s brain works, which means that there are some differences in how she expresses herself. That might mean that she starts wandering or that she starts to ask repetitive questions. In some people with dementia, that means that they say things that are unexpected or they start doing things that are surprising. Managing those challenging behaviors will definitely keep you on your toes.
Always Look for a Reason Behind the Behavior
As much as your senior’s behaviors might seem to be random and without any true cause, that’s very rarely the case. There’s almost always a solvable problem that you or someone else can handle for your senior. Start with basic needs, like whether she’s eaten or whether she needs the bathroom. From there you can work your way through other needs.
Encourage Activities that Occupy Your Senior
If your elderly family member is bored, that’s going to lead to more difficult behaviors. Keeping her brain engaged and active is your best bet for ensuring that she’s able to avoid behaviors that are challenging. Find activities she likes and make them a normal part of her day. She might enjoy things like sorting tasks or anything else that is repetitive. Experiment to find what she likes.
Talk to Your Senior’s Doctors about What’s Happening
Make sure that you mention to your elderly family member’s doctors what you’re seeing. There may be something else going on with your elderly family member, ranging from a medical condition to issues with medications that she’s taking. Until your senior’s doctor knows what’s happening, there’s not much they can do to help.
Make Sure You’re Taking Care of Yourself, Too
It’s also vital that you’re taking care of yourself. If you’re not, it’s going to be much more difficult and frustrating to take care of your elderly family member. Take time away, when you can. Hire a caregiver to stay with your elderly family member and make sure that you’re able to have time to yourself that is just for you. When you come back better rested, you’re going to see your senior’s behaviors from a different perspective.
Sometimes challenging behaviors can feel impossible for you to face when you aren’t sure you can figure them out. There really is an answer, but you need to be able to have the space and time to learn what your senior needs.
If you or an aging loved one is considering hiring caregivers in San Jose, CA, please contact the caring staff at Home Helpers today (408) 317-4969.
