04/17/2026
Changes in behaviour and personality can be especially distressing to caregivers of loved ones with dementia, who may struggle to understand, manage, and come to terms with difficult new behaviours.
💚1. Monitoring Changes
Keep your loved one’s health care provider informed of changes in behaviour, as in some cases, there may be an underlying medical cause, or a specific treatment that can alleviate symptoms.
💚2. Go With the Flow
Be mindful that changes in behaviour and personality due to dementia are due to changes in the brain that are not within your loved one’s control. Where appropriate and possible, accommodating new behaviours may be less distressing on everyone than trying to change them.
💚3. Reducing Problematic Behaviours
In addition to engaging your loved one’s health care provider and keeping a record, develop an action plan to implement when these behaviours arise, and share it with other caregivers.
💚4. The Importance of Emotional Support
Validation of strong emotions has long been shown to be more calming than challenging them, which can have the opposite effect.
💚5. Minimizing Fear and Anger
The most distressing behaviours often have fear and anger at their root, so creating a calm environment is key.
💚6. Take Care of You
Most importantly, it is critical that you, as a caregiver, receive the care and support you need to continue to be effective in this very emotionally challenging role.
Set aside time to eat well and exercise your brain and body.
