Dementia care
Dementia agitation and aggression: common triggers and how to respond
What causes agitation and anger in dementia, how to calm things down in the moment, how to stay safe if someone becomes aggressive, and when to involve the doctor.
Caregiver guides
Dementia care: everyday approaches that help
Everyday approaches for agitation, communication, wandering, and connection.
Much of dementia care happens in small moments: a question asked for the tenth time, a sudden need to "go home", a flash of anger that seems to come from nowhere. How you respond in those moments shapes how the rest of the day goes, for both of you.
These guides focus on approaches with a track record in dementia care. Validation meets the person in their reality instead of correcting it. Reminiscence uses familiar memories to comfort and reconnect. And practical guides on agitation, wanting to go home, wandering and everyday communication show how to put them to work.
Look up unfamiliar terms in the dementia care glossary.
New to this? Start with How to talk to someone with dementia: practical tips and phrases that help.
Dementia care
5 guides on dementia care
Dementia care
How to talk to someone with dementia: practical tips and phrases that help
Simple ways to make conversations easier and kinder: what to say, what to avoid, how to use body language, and how to handle the same question for the tenth time.
Dementia care
Dementia wandering: why it happens, how to prevent it, and what to do if someone goes missing
Why people living with dementia wander, the warning signs to watch for, practical ways to make your home safer, and exactly what to do if your loved one goes missing.
Dementia care
Validation therapy for dementia: principles, techniques, and real examples
How to respond to the feelings behind confused words instead of correcting the facts, with the techniques, example phrases, and an honest look at the research.
Dementia care
Reminiscence therapy for dementia: what it is, what the research says, and activity ideas
How sharing old memories with photos, music, and familiar objects can bring comfort and connection, plus practical ideas you can try at home tonight.
Questions
Common questions about dementia care
Should I correct someone with dementia when they are confused?
Usually not. Correcting tends to increase distress without changing what the person believes. Acknowledging the feeling behind what they say, then gently redirecting, works better for most families. See validation therapy.
What calms a person with dementia who is agitated?
A calm, low voice, fewer demands, checking for pain, hunger or needing the toilet, and turning to something familiar and comforting. See dementia agitation.
When the evening starts to slip, have a familiar voice ready
Hamton calls your loved one in the voice of someone they trust, using validation, reminiscence, and gentle redirection to guide them back to calm.
See how it works