Dementia Behaviors

In Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, clinging and following behavior is often referred to as “shadowing.” Learn how to prevent this exhausting symptom from interfering with your caregiving tasks and precious respite time.

We’ve compiled experienced dementia caregivers’ insights on dealing with sundowning behaviors that occur at other times of day, also known as “sunrising.”

The AgingCare.com forum is filled with people coming together to share valuable information. We’ve compiled experienced caregivers’ best tips for keeping a dementia patient calm and engaged.

Mum hasn’t been herself lately, and it’s been weighing heavily on my mind. Perhaps something is wrong with her medication regimen, or it could be what I dread most: her Alzheimer’s disease is progressing.

As a dementia caregiver, I see Mum fading in and out of reality, sometimes recognizing the severity of her illness and other times not even realizing something is wrong. All I can do is go through the motions with her.

We all lose track of time once in a while. But, for a dementia patient, time is their greatest enemy.

A dementia patient's idiosyncrasies can be rather puzzling. As caregivers, we must learn to go with the flow and pick our battles carefully.

My husband’s dementia keeps convincing him to turn down the thermostat, even though I tell him not to. He means well and I try to keep my patience, but troublesome dementia behaviors like these are still frustrating to deal with.

Caring for my husband with dementia presents almost daily challenges. Charlie's latest hygiene habit is as perplexing as it is frustrating.

The increased focus on Alzheimer's research is promising, but the efforts have all but ignored one of the most devastating features of this disease: the behavioral symptoms of dementia.

Charlie's dementia-fueled obsession with ordering items from magazines has proven challenging to deal with.

Handling Charlie's dementia-induced obsessions sometimes forces me to lie in order to keep him calm.

After decades of respecting Mom and Dad, it isn’t easy to wrap your head around the idea of parenting your parent. Use these coping strategies to get you through trying times as you and your loved one accept your new roles.

Adult day care staff members are trained to handle dementia behaviors, including: anxiety, hallucinations, wandering and aggression.

Read about other caregivers’ experiences with inappropriate dementia behaviors, including racism and unwanted sexual advances, and how they responded.

When a senior has dementia, celebrating holidays, birthdays and other special occasions becomes increasingly complicated. I found that, especially on Valentine's Day, helping my parents honor their years of love and marriage did serve a purpose.

Is your loved one's dementia-related irritability, anxiety or other behavior change difficult for you to handle? If your answer to this question is a resounding "Yes!" don't worry, you're not alone.

Any dementia caregiver who has been mortified by a loved one’s public meltdown has contemplated limiting the frequency of their outings. Use these tips to prevent and defuse agitation and handle meltdowns with tact.

Although it’s common for those with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias to occasionally become agitated, angry or aggressive, redirection techniques are an effective method of managing these difficult behaviors.

Yelling profanities is a behavior associated with Alzheimer's disease, but it does not mean your elderly father has Tourettes.