source: Marta Medem/New York Times
This is a worthwhile article from The New York Times about coping with a loved one’s personality and mood changes that result from dementia. The author reviews five strategies that can help:
- understanding why mood changes occur
- using the DICE approach (Describe, Investigate, Create and Evaluate)
emphasize tone over truth (which includes fibbing and re-directing) - embrace light to improve sleep and mood
- reduce boredom since boredom can cause mood swings.
The section on “understanding why mood changes occur” includes these excerpts:
“Personality and mood changes are often caused by deterioration in parts of the brain that control attention, learning, feelings…focus and behavior…”
“Additionally, people with dementia have less brain energy to process and adjust to sensations (such as pain or fatigue) and environmental stimuli… Many experts also agree that people with dementia have lower stress thresholds than they once had and might tip into feeling overwhelmed more quickly. This is the point when someone with dementia might suddenly become agitated or combative or begin ‘screaming’.”
“As the disease progresses, people lose language skills and communicate more through behavior…”
Find the full article here: (behind a paywall)
When Dementia Changes a Loved One’s Personality
Shifts in behavior can be challenging to manage. Experts have five strategies that can help.By Louisa Kamps
Oct. 23, 2024
New York Times