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Important Notice: The Forum does not endorse any medical product or therapy. ALL medications and supplements should be taken ONLY under the supervision of a physician, due to the possibility of side-effects, drug interactions, etc.

Nonpharmacologic Management of Behavioral Disturbances
Many behavioral "problems" in demented patients are not directly caused by cognitive decline, but instead may be attributed to other factors such as health, medication and physical and social environment. Coexisting illnesses, impaired vision or hearing, psychotropic medications, understimulation or overstimulation, lack of familiar cues in the environment and lack of meaningful activities and social relationships can causes a wide variety of responses in demented patients, including wandering, anxiety, paranoia, difficulty with personal care, incontinence, sleep difficulties and aggression. The Mayo clinic article by Carlson, et al., 1995, explains how "problem" behavior is often an attempt to communicate by patients who are losing language and reasoning skills. This useful article lists many nonpharmacologic strategies for managing behavioral disturbances by identifying and addressing the causes.