6 Normal Habits That Make Dementia Behaviors Worse

Some of the habits that make dementia behaviors worse come from loving, kind caregivers doing exactly what works with everyone else in their lives. Correcting a mistake, explaining why the medication matters, or asking "do you remember who this is?" can quietly lead to more agitation, resistance, and mistrust. In this episode, I'm walking through six of these everyday habits, why they backfire when someone has dementia, and what you can try instead. You can be completely right and still end up losing the moment. These habits take time to break, and noticing them is where it starts. If you'd like to see this episode on video, you can hop on over to my YouTube channel here. 📘 My book, The Dementia Care Toolkit: Real Help for Challenging Behaviors and Caregiving Overwhelm, is available for preorder now: https://careblazers.com/toolkit  Inside, you'll find practical strategies for difficult dementia behaviors, communication, caregiver overwhelm, guilt, grief, frustration, and more. → Learn about the Care Collective: https://tinyurl.com/podcast-cc  ⏱ CHAPTERS 0:00 - Why everyday habits can backfire with dementia 2:05 - Habit 1: Correcting 3:55 - Habit 2: Reasoning 8:45 - Habit 3: Arguing 11:40 - Habit 4: Testing their memory 13:00 - Habit 5: Talking as if they aren't there 14:55 - Habit 6: Reminding them what they can't do 17:40 - One question to ask before you respond --- 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.