Laurie Owen: I am Laurie Owen from Home Instead Senior Care. Today I am talking about how to manage your loved ones behaviors. Alzheimer's disease and other dementias affect the way seniors think and feel and subsequently how they behave. You may see behaviors from your loved ones that are uncharacteristic or even odd. Some common challenging behaviors include refusal, delusions, aggression, false-acquisitions, wandering, agitation and repetition. The behaviors that need to be managed are ones that put you or your loved one's physical and emotional wellbeing at risk. These include unhealthy eating habits, refusing to take medication or getting into altercation. When faced with these types of behaviors, there are four things you can do to help change the situation. First, give simple choices, this allows your loved ones to calm down and feel in control. The information from your loved one's journal can be helpful. For example, if your loved one doesn't want to get out of the bed in the morning, you can look up their favorite breakfast and cook that as a motivator. Second apologize or take the blame for the situation, this takes the attention off of your senior and it may help calm them down. Third is to redirect their attention. This is another good place to use information from your loved ones journal. For example, if your loved on is wandering, you can redirect them to activities that you know that they enjoy. You could say, your favorite TV show is on in a few minutes, or let's putt some golf balls. The fourth option is to physically remove items or your loved ones from the environment that is bothering them. You may have to try three times, three different ways in order to change the situation. But in the end, you are helping to create a better quality of life.

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