12: Using Communication to Manage Challenging Behaviors

This program will help you to:

• Understand the changes in communication associated with Alzheimer’s disease
• Understand why good communication skills are critical
• Use good communication skills to help manage challenging behaviors
• Learn about care recipient abuse and how to prevent it

• There are no easy answer when its comes to the care of another
• Our hope is to offer you useful information and guidelines for caring for someone with dementia
• These guidelines will need to be adjusted to suit your own individual needs

• Language understanding decreases
• Difficulty expressing thoughts, emotions and needs
• Not making sense or repeating things
• Lose reading and writing skills
• Lose recent memories before distant ones
• Shorter attention span
• Loss of conversational social skills

What could Mary have done to prevent this difficult behavior?

• A. Mary should have faced Robert, gotten his attention and made sure he understood the instructions
• B. Mary should not have tried to force Robert to take off his robe.
• C. Mary should have tried to find out why Robert did not want to shower, and address any issues.
• D. Mary should have shown a relaxed attitude and used a calming tone of voice and body language.
• E. All of the above.

Choice A: Mary should have faced Robert, gotten his attention, and made sure he understood the instructions, is an excellent choice.

• Do not assume that the person with dementia remembers things or understands what you are saying

Choice B: Mary should not have tried to force Robert to take off his robe,is also a good choice.

• You may have to demonstrate or assist the person in what steps you need them to do

Choice C: Mary should have tried to find out why Robert did not want to shower and address any issues,could also be a reason.

• Remember that the disease is causing the change in personality and loss of abilities

Choice D: Mary should have shown a relaxed attitude and used a calming tone of voice and body language,is also a good answer.

• Speak slowly and clearly with a pleasant tone of voice and comforting facial expressions and body language

Choice E: All of the above,is the correct answer.

• Use a calm voice, pleasant facial expressions, body language and touch
• Gain the person’s attention before speaking
• Offer reassurance rather than criticism
• Use empathy and validation
• Remove triggers for unwanted behavior, or remove the person from the stressful situation
• Redirect or distract
• Try to be patient and flexible
• Consider giving some alone time

• Provide regular, undivided attention
• Show that you value the person
• Use appropriate touch to convey comfort and support
• Try to preserve dignity and self-esteem

• Listen to music or sing together
• Use a conversation focus
• Use pleasant smells, tastes, and textures
• Exercise
• Outings

• Ridiculing or criticizing
• Ignoring, neglecting, or providing poor care
• Isolating or secluding
• Punishing or retaliating
• Hurrying or pressuring
• Threatening or frightening
• Using restraints

The Minnesota Department of Health has provided information to consumers on understanding the role of restraints in resident safety. Click here for more information on restraints NOTE: clicking on the link will take you to another website

Tips for Avoiding Care Recipent Abuse

• Use good communication skills
• Always asume that people with dementia are acting to the best of their abilities
• Never treat them like children
• If you feel overworked or frustrated, take a break before abusive behavior occurs
• Make regular use of relaxation techniques
• Talk to others about your feelings
• Learn more about caregiver stress and how to manage it
• Take care of the your health and needs

• Good communication can help prevent and resolve challenging behaviors
• Show respect, patience, and flexibility
• Approach caregiving as a collaborative team effort
• Use a non-judgmental, open-minded approach
• Use empathy and validation
• Keep a positive attitude and a sense of humor
• Never force them to do things they do not want to do
• Remain calm and use pleasant facial expressions and body language
• Get and keep the person’s attention while speaking and listening
• Remove environmental triggers and avoid situations that lead to difficult behaviors
• Remove the person from the stressful situation
• Give the person time to calm down
• Redirect or distract with something pleasant
• Try to find the meaning behind the behavior
• Establish a caring, trusting relationship
• Care recipient abuse comes in many forms
• Criticizing, scolding, pressuring, punishing, threatening, isolating, ignoring, neglecting, restraining, and assaulting
• Preventing abuse involves taking care of the caregiver and managing stress

Written by:
Catherine M. Harris, PhD, RNCS.
Mindy J. Kim-Miller, MD, PhD

Edited by:
Sasha Asdourian

www.LightBridgeHealthcare.com

Click here to open Certificate of Completion

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