How To Calm Someone With Dementia: Practical Tips

Nov 15, 2024 | Health & Wellness, Senior Living Resources

Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, often brings unique challenges for individuals and families, including episodes of agitation and anxiety that disrupt daily life. Knowing how to calm someone with dementia can provide comfort and reduce stress for everyone involved. This guide focuses on practical, non-drug strategies to help manage agitation, improve quality of life, and create a peaceful environment.

Causes of Agitation in Dementia

Understanding what triggers agitation in people with dementia is key to managing it effectively. Agitation can be caused by changes in routine, unfamiliar settings, or unmet physical or emotional needs. Issues like pain or hunger and environmental changes—such as loud noises or crowded spaces—can also increase anxiety. For individuals with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, even small adjustments can lead to confusion and stress.

Memory support communities, like East Ridge at Cutler Bay, understand these triggers and work to create a stable, familiar environment to help residents feel secure. By tailoring routines and spaces to reduce overstimulation, these communities help prevent agitation and promote a sense of calm.

Calming Agitation in Someone With Dementia

Managing agitation in a person with dementia requires a calm and supportive approach. Here are some effective methods to help soothe and calm someone experiencing distress:

  • Create a Calm Environment: A quiet and familiar space can significantly reduce stress. Soft lighting, reduced background noise, and familiar objects nearby provide comfort. It’s also helpful to minimize changes to their surroundings to maintain consistency.
  • Establish Structured Routines: Predictable routines foster stability for individuals with dementia, who often rely on familiar patterns to feel safe. Keeping daily activities—like mealtimes, bath routines, and bedtimes—consistent can create a sense of control. Gradual introductions to any necessary changes in their routines can also ease transitions.
  • Engage in Soothing Activities: Gentle, enjoyable activities can offer a valuable distraction from stress. Music therapy, in particular, has proven effective in dementia care, as familiar songs can evoke positive emotions and memories. Simple activities such as looking through family photo albums, gardening or doing puzzles also provide calm engagement, helping to shift the focus away from agitation.
  • Use Calming Communication Techniques: When agitation occurs, approach the person with a calm, reassuring voice, maintaining eye contact to convey understanding and support. Instead of correcting any confusion, validate their feelings and gently redirect them if needed. Simple, short sentences also help reduce potential frustration.
  • Offer Physical Comfort: Sometimes, agitation can stem from physical discomfort. Ensure they are comfortably seated, adjust the room temperature as needed, and provide cozy items like a soft blanket or pillow. Gentle touch, like holding their hands or giving light shoulder massages, can be soothing as well.
  • Limit Stimulation During Activities: Overstimulation from busy environments, excessive noise or bright lights can increase agitation. When engaging in activities, choose those that are simple and calming, and keep the environment as peaceful as possible. Slow-paced activities in a quiet space can promote relaxation and help maintain their focus without causing overwhelm.

Treating Agitation in Dementia Without Medication

Non-drug methods are often the first choice to help calm someone with dementia because they provide comfort without the side effects of medication. These gentle strategies focus on creating a soothing and familiar environment:

  • Check for Physical Needs: Sometimes agitation is a sign that they might be in pain, hungry, thirsty or tired. Regularly checking and addressing these basic needs can help them feel more at ease.
  • Use Music for Comfort: Music can be very calming, especially familiar songs that bring back happy memories. Playing their favorite music can help shift their focus away from any distress and provide comfort.
  • Keep the Environment Familiar: Try to avoid rearranging furniture or changing the layout of their spaces, as it can be confusing. Surround them with familiar items like photos, favorite books or comforting scents, as these small details can help create a calming space.

Additional Tips for Calming Agitation in Dementia

For family members and caregivers, a calm and patient approach is essential when caring for someone with dementia. Here are a few extra tips to enhance comfort and a sense of calm:

  • Be Patient and Flexible: Each episode of agitation may need a different approach, so staying flexible can help create a more supportive and adaptable environment.
  • Seek Support: Caregivers should consider joining a support group or seeking professional advice. Being part of a network offers valuable strategies and encouragement from others who understand.
  • Use Gentle Touch and Reassurance: Simple gestures like holding their hand or giving a gentle pat on the shoulder can be very reassuring, offering a sense of safety and care.
  • Monitor for Physical Discomfort: Agitation can sometimes indicate discomfort from pain, an uncomfortable position or even temperature. Regularly checking for these issues can help them feel more at ease.

Personalized Memory Support at East Ridge at Cutler Bay

At East Ridge at Cutler Bay, we offer compassionate memory support designed to enhance the quality of life for our residents. Our approach includes non-drug interventions and a nurturing environment tailored to support each resident’s well-being and comfort. Each team member is trained in dementia care techniques that focus on safety, compassion, and understanding, allowing residents to feel secure and valued.

Our memory support services aim to bring peace of mind to residents and their families. Reach out to us today at 305-290-2346\ to learn more about how our memory support programs at East Ridge at Cutler Bay provide a calm, supportive, and enriching environment for those living with dementia.

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