Tune in to our Kensington Senior Living event recording: The Connection Between Dementia & Mental Health, as part of our ongoing events to educate caregivers and their families about memory loss.
Our guest speaker will be Dr. David Hart, Ph.D., a clinical health counselor with 20 years of experience helping people with dementia and their families.
In this interactive Zoom gathering, Dr. Hart discusses the behavioral changes that result from dementia and Alzheimer’s.
During this event, we’ll discuss person-centered strategies for advancing patient and caregiver wellness, helping both caregivers and their family members deal with the challenges of dementia.
If you’re a primary caregiver or a loved one with dementia, don’t miss this event. Check out our upcoming events or subscibe to our monthly newsletter to stay in the loop!
What are the most common behavioral and psychological symptoms with dementia?
Dementia is not a singular disease, but an umbrella term that encompasses many progressive neurocognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, Parkinson’s disease dementia, Lewy body, and other forms of mixed dementia.
Dementia causes progressive changes in the brain that over time result in changes to memory, mood, movement, and behavior. Some of these changes could be attributed to normal aging but certain behavior changes could mean more.
In the beginning phases of dementia, increased forgetfulness is common. However, changes in behavior become more common in the middle to later stages of dementia, which include:
- Repeating questions constantly
- Confusion at nighttime, known as “sundowning”
- Following a partner around the house everywhere
- Increased agitation and anger
- Aggressive behavior
- Loss of confidence
- Apathy
- Increased anxiety
- Depression
- Hallucinations
- Suspicions, paranoia, and delusions
- Sleep issues
- Wandering
What causes dementia changes in personality?
Neurons, also known as nerve cells, transmit electrical and chemical signals from the brain to control the body’s movement and cognition.
In the brain of a person with dementia, they’re consistently losing neurons that are progressively atrophying at an accelerated pace. Because the brain and body depend on neurons to properly function, a loss of neurons will manifest itself as common dementia symptoms, such as memory loss, difficulty moving, freezing of facial expressions, and behavioral changes.
As the disease progresses, people with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease will have brain atrophy, which can cause their brain and brain regions to gradually shrink, injuring and damaging many connections of networks in the brain that controls the body.
How dementia behaviors and mental health are connected
Having mental health issues earlier in life can be an indicator of an increased chance of developing dementia, however, it can be difficult to prove which mental health issues actually caused dementia.
In most cases of mental health issues, such as depression or anxiety, changes to a person’s behavior may lead to lifestyle changes that can increase the likelihood of developing dementia.
For example, younger people with anxiety or depression may turn to alcohol or drugs as a lifelong coping mechanism, which can drastically increase the risk of developing dementia later in life.
There is also a strong link between depression and dementia behaviors. However, did you know that depression is a preventable risk factor?
Participating in a support group, staying physical, and actively engaging in social activities with loved ones are all non-drug approaches to help people with depression and dementia improve or slow down their symptoms.
Staying socially active can help your loved one improve their mobility and lower depression, which can support brain health and delay the onset of dementia.
Common behaviors in each of the three stages of dementia
Dementia progresses in three main stages: early, middle, and late.
For most people, behavioral symptoms are not noticeable in a person’s personality until they reach the middle stage.
Early-stage dementia personality changes
The earliest stage of dementia typically lasts about two years. It’s during this stage when your loved one may begin to notice changes in their memory and mood.
Common early-stage symptoms include:
- Memory problems, such as losing familiar items around the house
- Difficulty focusing and solving problems
- Increased brain fog
- They speak slowly, struggling to find the right words and other language issues
- Becoming lost or losing a sense of orientation more easily
- A change in vision and perception, such as depth perception
- Changes in mood, such as anxiety, depression, sadness, and irritation
Middle-stage dementia personality changes
The middle stage of dementia is typically when behavioral changes become more pronounced. This phase usually lasts around two years, and will result in a worsening of symptoms developed in the early stage.
People in the middle stage will need more assistance from their caregivers and loved ones, such as reminders and assistance to complete their daily routine.
Symptoms of middle-stage dementia include:
- Worsening problems with language and conversation
- Increased loss of memory
- Difficulty recognizing familiar faces
- Increased depression, apathy, and anxiety
- Hallucinations and delusions
- They lose interest in hobbies
- Confusion with orientation, such as waking up and wandering during the night
- An increased quickness to anger, fear, or agitation such as screaming or shouting
- Saying or doing socially inappropriate things with “no filter”
- Repetitive movements and behavior, such as asking the same questions over and over
Late-stage dementia personality changes
People in the late stages of dementia will require full-time support to help them complete their daily activities of living.
During this stage, physical symptoms such as movement problems will become more noticeable, as well as decreased cognition. The late stage usually lasts around two years.
Symptoms of late-stage dementia include:
- “Timeshifting” which is confusion about what time period they are in
- Difficulty recognizing faces, even their own
- Reduced use of language
- Speaking slowly
- Walking and moving difficulties
- Difficulty swallowing and talking
- Delusions and hallucinations
- Aggressive behavior
- Increased risk of falls
- Losing weight
- Incontinence
- Restlessness
Person-centered strategies for advancing patient and caregiver wellness
Caregivers of a family member or other loved one with dementia can adopt a Positive Approach to Care to increase their dementia care skills.
Teepa Snow, the founder of Positive Approach to Care, helps caregivers navigate the challenges of caring for people whose behaviors are negatively impacted by dementia.
The following are a few of Teepa’s tips for helping caregivers reducing escalation and providing more patient care for people with dementia:
- Remember that it’s the disease that is causing your loved one’s challenging behaviors, not your loved one. They cannot help themselves.
- Don’t use too many words or overwhelm your loved one with choices. Use “this or that” type questions to help them make simple, everyday choices.
- Never blame or shame your loved one for their actions. Stay calm and use “I’m sorry” phrases to reduce escalation. Such as “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”
- Use “reflection” to mirror words back to your loved one, using words or phrases they used to make them feel heard and understood.
Kensington Senior Living’s memory care neighborhoods for all stages of dementia
Unlike other senior living communities, The Kensington is truly a place where your loved one can “age in place” even if their healthcare needs change. We ensure that they have a consistent daily routine and adequate assistance in daily activities.
Our senior living communities across America all provide a broader spectrum of care than you’ll find at other assisted living communities, which can include personalized wellness programs, on-site rehabilitation, all-day dining programs, activities to help them stay active, licensed nurses available 24/7, and enhanced memory care.
We offer two levels of memory care for seniors who are in the early to middle stages, and who are in the late stages of dementia. We understand how a person’s environment affects their quality of life and the need to be safe, cozy, and comfortable.
At The Kensington, we extend Our Promise to love and care for your family members as we would our own.
Are you the caregiver or a loved one with dementia or Alzheimer’s? Please contact us to learn how you help support your loved one with their memory loss. Spend time browsing our floor plans and see what we have to offer.
Looking for career opportunities to work at The Kensington? View our career page to join our family.