Based on the public media, one would assume that all dementia behaviors require medications and all medications that are given to individuals with dementia are harmful. Neither of those is true.
The preferred option for helping to manage behaviors secondary to dementia is identifying the cause of the behavior and intervening to that single cause. While that is easy to say, it can be tough to execute. Because the individual with dementia cannot tell us his or her needs or wishes, we must be like Sherlock Holmes. We have to observe, monitor and look for signs that lead us to the underlying cause.
For instance, seniors with dementia often do not like to bathe. We don't understand why, but if there are incontinence and body odor, we can't ignore it. However, if this is not the issue, is it worth the fight to do a shower or bath? Look at alternatives first. Can a sponge bath or partial bath suffice? It is typically not necessary to shower every day as we age. In fact, too frequent bathing increases dryness of the skin and the likelihood of skin breaks due to this dryness. The skin is one of our fist lines of defense for infection.
Why the fight with bathing? Here are some reasons that might drive the behavior.
These are only a few examples. Future blogs will discuss some of the ways that we can address these issues to maintain the hygiene of the senior with dementia. Bathing is a dignity issue, and it is for the caregiver to identify the cause of the upset. Contact me if you need help to determine what is causing your loved one's behaviors.