Approaches to Address Apathy

Hello everyone, We’ve mentioned that apathy is a common challenge for people who have dementia, and is often overlooked because the person with apathy is not generally disruptive to staff or other residents. It is important to remember that apathy is different from depression, as a person who is apathetic is not necessarily sad, but […]

Success Stories on Managing Apathy

Hello everyone, A few weeks ago, we asked you to share some of your strategies for helping residents with apathy become more involved in activities. Gina Gentilini-Borzilleri, the Activities Director at Lorien Elkridge in Maryland, sent us a few wonderful examples of things she has tried with residents where she’s has had success! We thought we’d […]

Pay Attention to Apathy

Hello everyone, “The squeaky wheel gets the oil” is a well-known proverb. In terms of challenging behaviors, the man running down the hall naked or the woman crying loudly at lunch generally get our attention more quickly than the quiet lady in room 101 who likes to keep to herself and “isn’t any trouble.” In […]

Addressing Behavioral Challenges

Hello everyone, The UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program has developed a set videos addressing common behavioral challenges for caregivers. The brief videos first show a “typical” approach by a caregiver, then some discussion by an expert, and then show the “preferred approach”  of the same scenario and a few more tips. The videos are free […]

Attention to apathy

Hello everyone, “The squeaky wheel gets the oil” is a well-known proverb. In terms of challenging behaviors, the man running down the hall naked or the woman crying loudly at lunch generally get our attention more quickly than the quiet lady in room 101 who likes to keep to herself and “isn’t any trouble.” In […]

Care plan snapshots: Making care plans useful

Developing and updating care plans to ensure they include the required information takes a lot of staff time and attention. Unfortunately, they don’t usually live up to their potential for day to day usefulness and practicality. To help address this, we’ve developed a Care Plan Snapshot…a “Readers Digest” version of a care plan that highlights […]

Engaging residents with apathy

A person who is withdrawn or apathetic is someone who is socially withdrawn and is experiencing a loss of interest and motivation. Behaviors that reflect being withdrawn or apathetic might include: sitting alone in one’s room avoiding contact with others making limited eye contact with others. It’s important to note that these behaviors are not […]

Educating family members on person-centered care

Educating family members of your residents about your efforts to reduce the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia through person-centered behavioral approaches is critical. Family members can support staff and be a useful resource when determining what may motivate a resident to participate in his/her own care and engage in activity, and thereby decrease agitation, […]