Interacting with people with dementia is all about communication and behaviour.

The ability to reason and to deal with complex information and signals can be lost in people suffering from dementia, so the overall message is to keep things simple, positive and clear. Similarly, short term memory can be affected, but social skills will remain.

The emotional tone is important in communicating and so body language and tone should be positive, calm and respectful. Using touch helps to show affection and convey security.

Distractions, such as the background noise from radio and television, and in some situations, the outside world can make communication more difficult and confusing, so the atmosphere needs to be as soothing and calm as possible if the person with dementia is becoming agitated or distressed.  Equally, it may be necessary to be patient and to repeat things several times

It also helps to keep communication clear and simple. So, asking open ended questions or giving too many choices may not be helpful. Similarly, it can be helpful to break down actions into a series of steps to make things more manageable and reduce confusion.

Dementia can play tricks with a person’s memory and while they may not be able to remember something that happened just an hour previously, they may remember something that happened many years ago.  Remembering the past is often a soothing and affirming activity for them.

Familiar music, favourite scents and items can evoke positive feelings. Often caregivers will gather these things ahead of time to have on hand when they are needed.

If a person is distressed or agitated for some reason it may be helpful to try to identify what, if anything, has triggered it. Did something specific trigger it, or is it something that is more likely to happen at a certain time of day?

It may also be that the distress is a reaction to frustration perhaps at an inability to communicate, to find the right word or because they are tired, hungry or thirsty.

Generally, showing empathy, reassurance and affection may help an agitated or distressed person to feel more secure and so calm them down.