Caregiver Center

Caregiver Center

Every behavior page follows the same format: what may be causing it, what to try first, what makes it worse, what you can do today, and when to call the doctor.

Behavior and daily symptoms

Agitation

Agitation is usually communication. Something is uncomfortable, confusing, frightening, or overwhelming.

Sundowning

Confusion and restlessness that increase in the late afternoon and evening.

Hallucinations

Seeing people or animals that are not there is common, especially in Lewy body dementia and Parkinson's disease dementia.

Wandering

Wandering is often purposeful from the person's point of view — looking for a place, a person, or a job to do.

Repetitive questions

Repetition usually signals anxiety or a memory that will not hold — not stubbornness.

Resistance to bathing

Bathing can feel cold, exposed, confusing, and frightening. Refusal is usually about dignity and comfort.

Sleep problems

Poor sleep worsens memory, mood, and behavior — and is often improvable without medication.

Day/night reversal

Sleeping through the day and being active at night is exhausting for families and usually responds to routine and light.

Eating problems

Eating changes can come from appetite, attention, dentition, depression, or swallowing difficulty.

Medication refusal

Refusal often reflects suspicion, difficulty swallowing, side effects, or simply too many pills.

Paranoia and accusations

Accusations usually come from memory gaps the brain fills in with an explanation.

Anxiety

Anxiety often rises when the world feels unpredictable or demands exceed ability.

Apathy

Apathy is loss of initiation, not loss of interest. The person often participates once started.

Incontinence

Incontinence often begins as difficulty finding, reaching, or recognizing the bathroom in time.

Caregiver burnout

Caregiver health is part of the patient's care plan. Burnout is predictable, and it is preventable with help.

Communication techniques

Communication that works with dementia is short, calm, visual, and never a test.

How to redirect someone with dementia

Redirection works when you join the person's reality first and change direction second.

Creating a daily routine

A steady rhythm reduces anxiety, improves sleep, and lowers the frequency of difficult behavior.

Meaningful activities

The best activities feel useful and familiar, and they succeed at the person's current ability level.

When behaviors require medical evaluation

A sudden behavior change is a medical symptom until proven otherwise.