Dealing with angry behaviour - Tommy Whitelaw Video Blog

We hope you all had a lovely weekend and a good Monday!
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This week’s video blog post deals with a very important topic in the field of dementia. People with dementia may sometimes behave aggressively, either physically or verbally, and this can be very stressful for the person and for their caregivers. Although people with dementia have the same needs as everyone they may be unable to recognise their needs. They often don’t know how to meet these needs or even communicate them to others. This is clearly frustrating and can lead to angry behaviour. It is essential for caregivers to try to understand the reasons behind this behaviour although it might be hard sometimes.
Tommy also experienced situations like that while caring for his mum. Watch the video to find out how he dealt with it:

"​I didn't know what to do then. I didn't understand myself."

"Professionals are quite quick to medicate."

"I would just take my mum for a little walk around the garden."

"What triggers off certain things?"

Although it is a very difficult situation for the caregiver, it should not be forgotten that the person with dementia is having a hard time as well. There are ways of reacting to challenging situations like this:

• Speaking to the person and giving them the feeling of being understood and listened to is very important.
• Listening to music that the person likes or that usually calms them can help.
• Make sure the person spends enough time interacting with other people as social isolation can make you unhappy and frustrated as well.
• Reminiscence activities can be very helpful as well, as they take the mind off the negative feeling people might experience.
• Physical activities or exercises can help as well, as they reduce agitation.
• Sometimes, just changing the environment a little can already help. Little changes, of for example lighting or temperature, can improve the surroundings for the person with dementia.

Let us know how you deal with angry behaviour and share your tips with us in the comments section!

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