5 Strange Dementia Behaviors and Why They Happen

Some dementia behaviors can make absolutely no sense from the outside. It can look like your loved one is being lazy, stubborn, rude, in denial, or even lying to you. But there's often a brain-based reason for what you're seeing. In this episode, I break down 5 strange dementia behaviors, apathy, anosognosia, apraxia, disinhibition, and confabulation — and explain what may actually be happening in the brain when they occur. Because when you understand why a behavior is happening, it can completely change the way you see it. If you'd like to see this episode on video, you can hop on over to my YouTube channel here. And if your next question is, "Okay, but what do I DO when this happens?" I have two resources that can help: → Learn about the Care Collective: https://tinyurl.com/podcast-cc  → My new book, The Dementia Care Toolkit is officially available for pre-order. ➡️ Preorder your copy here: https://careblazers.com/toolkit    ⏱ CHAPTERS 0:00 - Why these behaviors are almost never a choice 1:31 - Apathy and the broken motivation switch 3:51 - Anosognosia and why they do not believe they have dementia 6:12 - Apraxia and why simple tasks stop working 8:26 - Disinhibition and what the frontal lobes control 10:11 - Confabulation and why it is not lying   --- Hi, I'm Dr. Natali Edmonds, a board-certified geropsychologist specializing in dementia care. Whether your loved one has Alzheimer's, frontotemporal, Lewy body, vascular, or mixed dementia, we believe that to create a dementia-friendly world, we must first create a caregiver-friendly world. This content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare provider for medical guidance.