Learn how to respond: http://bit.ly/16kTtDZ

Repeating the same question, story or statement over and over

I want togo home.

I want togo home.

Where ismy purse?

Where ismy purse?

Where ismy purse?

What timeis it?What time

is it?

TAPPING FEET

BANGING

RUBBING HANDS

RUMMAGINGRUMMAGING

It is important to surround yourself with people who understand dementia. Your support team can include a: • Support Group• Primary Doctor/Nurse Practitioner• Dementia Specialist: Neurologist, Geriatrician or Geriatric Psychiatrist• Geriatric Care Manager or Social Worker• Rehab Professionals (PT/OT/Speech)• Home Care• Adult Day Care

• Develop a daily routine that honors a person’s past routine, hobbies & preferences

• Remove the person from stressful situations

• Respond to emotions • Divert attention to positive, familiar,

repetitive activities• Offer reassurance• Communicate effectively - make

eye contact, use gestures, and use short simple phrases

• When starting a new medicine, people with dementia should be monitored closely for benefits and side effects.• Side effects - if they occur - often happen quickly. Benefits can take time to notice with some medicines. • Response to medicine can vary from person to person.• It is important to work with your healthcare team to develop the best treatment plan for you or the person you care about.

To learn more about medicines that can help, visit: http://bit.ly/181PN6v

http://bit.ly/18VmuU3http://bit.ly/143u1Pm

For more communication tips, visit: Support group search tools:

• DEMENTIA-SPECIFIC MEDICINES• ANTIPSYCHOTICS

• ANTI-ANXIETY • ANTI-CONVULSANTS• ANTIDEPRESSANTS

© 2013 Griswold International, LLC

brought to you by:

© 2013 Griswold International, LLCGriswoldHomeCare.com

http://bit.ly/181PN6v

© 2013 Griswold International, LLC© 2013 Griswold International, LLCGriswoldHomeCare.com

Infographic design by Joe Carr and Mike Haldeman

The Many Forms of Dementia

Managing Repetitive Symptoms

IRREVERSIBLE

CREATE YOUR PLAN

TYPES OF MEDICATION

GET SUPPORT

Common Triggers for Challenging Symptoms

Managing Symptoms With Medicine

MEMORY

THINKING

ATTENTION/CONCENTRATION

JUDGEMENT

LANGUAGE

PERCEPTION REASONING

Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a set of symptoms that can include changes in:

LANGUAGE

PERCEPTIONPERCEPTIONPERCEPTION

…and must be severe enough to interfere with a person’s ability to function.

n Alzheimer’s Diseasen Vascular Dementian Lewy Body Dementian Parkinson’s Diseasen Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

aka Mad Cow Diseasen Down Syndromen Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD)n Huntington’s Diseasen Early Onset Dementian Mixed Dementian Korsakoff Syndromen AIDS Dementia Complexn Dementia Pugilistica

n Medication Side Effects

n Depression

n Infection

n Low Levels of Vitamin B-12

n Brain Tumors*

n Head or Brain Injury/Trauma*

n Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus*(excess fluid on the brain)

n Posterior Cortical Atrophy, aka Benson’s Syndrome*(cell loss in back area of brain)

*Not Always Reversible

REVERSIBLE

Reversible dementia can improve over time and/or with treatment.

Examples include:

Irreversible dementia will progress over time and there is no cure.

Examples include:

COMMON TRIGGERS CHECKLIST:PEOPLE OR ACTIONS THAT FRIGHTEN, ANNOY, THREATEN OR CAUSE PAIN

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT THAT CAUSES DISCOMFORT (HOT, COLD, NOISY, THREATENING)

TOO MUCH OR TOO LITTLE GOING ON

CLIENT DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING

UNMET PHYSICAL OR EMOTIONAL NEEDS (CLOTHES DON’T FIT, VISION/HEARING CHALLENGES)

MEDICATION SIDE EFFECTS

IDENTIFYTRIGGERS

http://bit.ly/18cWfxn

THINGS TO KNOW

Remember -- Repetitive symptoms can be frustrating for the person with dementia and their family caregivers. It is important to be empathetic and flexible. As speech becomes more difficult, symptoms are often the only way that a person with dementia can communicate.

REASONING

The following checklist can help you notice and respond to common triggers