How to Manage Personality Changes in Seniors with Dementia

When seeing personality changes in seniors with dementia, there’s no need to be alarmed. It’s normal for the disease to affect your loved one’s behavior and personality, but don’t let this scare you—you can still take care of them and maintain a close relationship.

As their dementia progresses, your loved one’s personality may change in ways that are hard for you to understand and accept. For example, they may act differently toward family members and friends than they used to. The good news is that these changes do not have to affect your relationship with your loved one.

Here are some tips on how to manage personality changes in seniors with dementia:

Understand That Personality Changes are Normal as Dementia Progresses

We often attribute personality changes to memory loss and confusion—but this can also be true when talking about cognitive impairment (specifically problems with thinking). There may be times when someone with Alzheimer’s disease has difficulty remembering things from one day previous or even coming up with an idea on their own.

It’s important to understand that your loved one’s personality is not changing; it’s simply becoming more difficult for them to express themselves in the same way they once did.

Through these changes, you may find that your relationship with your loved one becomes more intimate and rewarding. Personality changes do not reflect their ability or inability to care for themselves; rather, they represent a natural part of the disease process.

Educate Yourself on Dementia

Understand what stage of dementia your loved one is in.
Know what changes to expect at each stage.
Learn about the different types of dementia and how they affect people differently. This includes Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia (dementia caused by stroke or heart attack), frontotemporal degeneration (FTD), Lewy body dementia, and others.
Understand the different personality changes and how they are affected by specific diseases or conditions like Alzheimer’s or Lewy body disease.
Recognize that some behaviors can be due to illness rather than personality traits, so be sure to ask about any behavior changes before assuming something is wrong!

Keep Your Loved Ones Busy

The best way to keep your loved ones busy is by giving them a task. If they have dementia, this can be especially challenging because they rarely recognize that you’re trying to help them and may mistake your attempts as punishment.

Give them something fun and engaging to do that helps keep their mind active, like puzzles or crafts. You can even get started on a project together.

Get Your Loved One to the Doctor

You can help your loved one get the best care possible. The doctor is an important resource for understanding what’s happening with their condition and how to manage it. They may also be able to identify other health conditions causing the personality changes, such as depression or bipolar disorder.

If you think your loved one has dementia, they need to see a doctor specializing in geriatrics (a type of medicine dealing with older adults). This will allow them access to more resources and specialized knowledge about managing personality changes caused by Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia.

Be Prepared for Challenging Behavior

Be prepared for challenging behaviors. The most common challenging behaviors in seniors with dementia include:

wandering away from home or the care facility
becoming agitated and verbally abusive towards caregivers
refusing to eat or drink, even when hungry or thirsty

Get Some Respite for Yourself and Other Caregivers

It’s important to get some respite for yourself and other caregivers. Try to get family and friends for help by asking them to watch your loved one for a few hours every day or arrange a short-term stay at a local senior care facility. If you can’t afford this type of help, check with the local health department if they have any programs available to help senior citizens in need.

Suppose you don’t have any family or friends nearby and cannot afford to hire a professional caregiver temporarily or permanently. In that case, check online for these kind of services.

If Your Loved One Feels Agitated, Reassure Them That You Love Them

Yes, it’s true: You don’t have to be happy about it. But if you get upset or angry or shout at your loved one because they’re acting out in a way that makes them seem less than perfect, then they’ll only continue to act out more often in response to the situation.

You can’t control the behavior of everyone around you! Sometimes people do things that make us feel annoyed and frustrated. It’s how people are wired sometimes, and there’s no point in getting worked up over something we can’t change.

Maintain a Close Relationship and Adjust How You Relate to Them

If you are a caregiver for a loved one with dementia, it is important to remember that the person who was once your partner or spouse is still there. Even if they have lost their memory and can no longer recognize you, they may still love you just as much as before.

Be patient and understanding when dealing with personality changes in seniors with dementia. Sometimes you feel angry or frustrated because of what has occurred; however, try not to let this anger consume your entire being because it will only make things worse for everyone involved.
Try not to let yourself get caught up in stressful situations that could lead to arguments between both parties—this should never happen!
Instead of arguing over small issues like which TV show they should watch tonight instead of tomorrow morning (or vice versa), talk about something more pleasant.

Caregivers Can Overcome Personality Changes in Dementia

If you can stay calm, respond gradually and maintain a loving relationship, caregivers can overcome personality changes in dementia.

Stay calm – It’s important to keep your loved ones happy and not get upset when they make mistakes or forget things. Make sure they know they are in charge of their behavior.
Respond Gradually – When someone has dementia, there may be times when their behavior becomes erratic or unpredictable. Don’t panic. This is normal! Try not to react too quickly when things don’t go as planned. Instead, try responding by talking calmly without raising your voice. If possible, take time before deciding how you want things handled so that everyone involved knows what will happen next.