Challenging behavior in dementia care : recognizing & meeting unmet needs

Summary: Unexpected and different behavior is part of the journey of living with dementia. One of the mistakes providers make is to judge behavior as challenging or problematic and then attempt to "stop it" before taking the time to notice what's really going on. Human behavior is almost always an attempt to communicatre or meet a personal need. Remember, individuals are doing the best they can with their remaining coginitive or physical ability. They are often expressing what they like or don't like about an environment or what providers are doing or not doing to them. When this happens, it will require a pause or "time out" to observe and think through what might be behind the presenting behavior. Often times providers don't realize they are the cause of challenging behaviors because of approaches that don't work or lack of understanding about an individuals unique preferences or needs. It is important to partner and "work with" a person when they are behaving in a way that surprises us. In order to be successful in changing behavior, it will be about how we respond to what is happening, and what we choose to do that will make the difference.