DementiaRoadmap Wales

Promoting living well with dementia across Wales
Understanding dementia → Unusual behaviours

Unusual behaviours

There is a wide variety of changed behaviours that can pose difficulties for a carer trying to provide support to someone with dementia. These may vary with the stage and sub-type of dementia.

These behaviours include:

  • Angry (aggressive) behaviour such as shouting angrily or hitting out at others

  • Anxiety and / or depression

  • Excessive walking (wandering behaviour) when people spend long periods of time walking either repetitively or walking long distances

  • Repetitive behaviours such as saying words, asking questions or making sounds, rocking, rubbing parts of the body repeatedly

  • Vocally disruptive behaviours such as shouting, swearing, screaming or grunting.

  • Dis-inhibited behaviours ranging from taking clothes off, masturbating or making sexual advances.

There are also many other behaviours such as being withdrawn and unresponsive, suspiciousness of other people, making accusations, sleep disturbance etc which carers and care staff can struggle to know how best to respond.

These behaviours are often described as ‘difficult’. People with dementia can sometimes be labelled according to the behaviour. For example ‘he is a wanderer’. This ‘label’ can have a negative impact on both how the individual is perceived and how the person is supported.

Share this page

Resources
Groups

Resources

  • Women and Dementia: A global research overviewJune 5 2015This report published by Alzheimer’s Disease International explores the main issues affecting women in relation to dementia from an international perspective.
  • Torfaen Memory Assessment ServiceDecember 10 2019Torfaen Memory Clinic is a team of healthcare professionals based at Ty Sirol Unit, County Hospital who assess, support, advise and provide treatment for people with memory problems and dementia.
  • Dementia DiariesJune 4 2015Dementia Diaries is a national project that brings together people’s diverse experiences of living with dementia as a series of audio diaries.
  • Information about Lewy Body DementiaApril 27 2015This handbook published by the Lewy Body Society aims to help people with Lewy body dementia (LBD), their families and health care professionals learn more about the disease and find ways and resources to help them cope with it.
  • Award in Understanding DementiaMarch 18 2015The Alzheimer's Society and the Royal Society for Public Health have joined forces to create a new qualification to help people understand more about dementia.
  • Drugs used to relieve behavioural and psychological symptoms in dementiaJanuary 20 2012This factsheet produced by the Alzheimer’s Society explores the different types of drugs that can be used to treat these symptoms if non-pharmalogical treatments have not worked.
  • Are you worried about Dementia?April 7 2014This leaflet produced by the Lewy Body Society explains the main symptoms and causes of dementia. It also outlines the distinct symptoms associated with Lewy body dementia.
  • Dementia and aggressive behaviourMay 20 2013This factsheet produced by the Alzheimer's Society aims to aid understanding about what may cause this type of behaviour and offers some ways to deal with it.
  • Sight, perception and hallucinations in dementiaOctober 20 2012This Alzheimer's Society factsheet considers some specific difficulties that people with dementia can have with sight, perception and hallucinations, and suggests ways to support them.
  • Unusual behaviourNovember 29 2010This factsheet produced by the Alzheimer’s Society outlines some typical sorts of unusual behaviour in people with dementia and explains some common causes.
  • Women’s experiences of dementiaJune 1 2015The 'Women's experiences of dementia' website contains a wealth of stories which highlight the experiences of women affected by dementia.
  • Ten tips for communicating with a person with dementiaSeptember 8 2012These top tips produced by the Family Caregiver Alliance will help practitioners and those caring for a person with dementia to improve communication skills and ability to handle the difficult behaviour.
  • Moving and walking aboutJune 20 2012This Alzheimer's Society factsheet explains some of the reasons why a person with dementia may walk about and looks at what you can do to help.
  • Women and dementia: A marginalised majorityMarch 8 2015This report published by Alzheimer's Research UK reveals that dementia has become the leading cause of death among British women and that women are far more likely to end up as carers of those with dementia than men, suffering physical and emotional stress and job losses in the process.
  • Guidelines for Helping the Confused Older PersonMay 16 2019These guidelines are designed to help someone be able to provide assistance to an older person experiencing confusion or the cognitive changes associated with dementia although may prove useful for any age group with dementia.
  • FREE Dementia Friends Sessions at Cwmbran Shopping CentreJanuary 7 2020Cwmbran shopping centre are holding FREE Dementia Friends sessions at the management offices in Powys house. A Dementia Friend is somebody that learns about dementia so they can help their community. Too many people affected by dementia feel that society fails to understand the condition they live with. Dementia Friends help by raising awareness and understanding, so that people living with dementia can continue to live in the way they want.
  • Living with early-stage dementiaNovember 20 2019Living with early-stage dementia is a comprehensive guide published by Age UK, also known as Age Cymru in Wales.
    • Show all

Groups

  • Torfaen dementia support workersTorfaen dementia support workers offer information and practical guidance to help people understand dementia cope with day-to-day challenges and prepare for the future.Ty Siriol County Hospital, Coed Y Gric Road, Griffithstown, Pontypool, Torfaen, NP4 5YA01495 768627
  • Griffithstown carers support groupGriffithstown carers support group gives people the opportunity to meet with others who understand some of what they are going through.Ty Siriol County Hospital, Coed Y Gric Road, Griffithstown, Pontypool, Torfaen, NP4 5YA01495 768744
  • Llanyravon carers support groupLlanyravon carers support group gives people the opportunity to meet with others who understand some of what they are going through.Llanyravon Methodist Church, Llanyravon Way, Llanyravon, Cwmbran, NP44 8RA01495 768627
  • Aneurin Bevan University Health BoardAneurin Bevan University Health Board covers the areas of Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport, Torfaen and South Powys. It serves an estimated population of over 639,000, approximately 21% of the total Welsh population.St Cadoc's Hospital, Lodge Road, Caerleon, Newport, Wales, NP18 3XQ01873 732732https://www.aneurinbevanhb.wales.nhs.uk/
  • Alzheimer’s Society WalesAlzheimer’s Society is the leading care and research charity for people with dementia their families and carers. The Alzheimer's Society Wales provides a wide range of services to support people living with dementia and their carers.S4C, Parc Ty Glas, Llanishen, Cardiff CF14 5DU, UK0333 150 3456https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents.php?categoryID=200139
  • Dementia UKDementia UK is a national charity, committed to improving quality of life for all people affected by dementia. The charity provides Admiral Nurses, specialist dementia nurses who provide practical and emotional support to family carers of people with dementia.2nd Floor, Resource for London, 356 Holloway Road, London, N7 6PA020 7697 4160https://www.dementiauk.org
  • Innovations in DementiaInnovations in Dementia is a community interest company that works nationally with people with dementia, partner organisations and professionals to develop and test projects that will enhance the lives of people with dementia.PO Box 616, Exeter, EX1 9JB01392 420076https://www.innovationsindementia.org.uk/
  • Lewy Body SocietyThe Lewy Body Society is a charity which aims to raise awareness of Dementia with Lewy bodies for the general public and educate those in the medical profession and decision making positions about all aspects of the disease and to support research into the disease.Hudson House, 8 Albany Street, Edinburgh EH1 3QB, United Kingdom0131 473 2385https://lewybody.org
  • Alzheimer’s SocietyAlzheimer's Society is a membership organisation, which works to improve the quality of life of people affected by dementia in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.Devon House, 58 St Katharine's Way, London, E1W 1LB020 7423 3500https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/
  • Dementia PathfindersDementia Pathfinders CIC is a social enterprise delivering therapeutic care and support for people with dementia and their families, and programmes of education and learning for people working in the dementia care field.Warstones Resource Centre, Warstones Drive, Wolverhampton, WV4 4PG0845 257 2250https://www.dementiapathfinders.org
  • Dementia Services Development CentreThe Dementia Services Development Centre is an international centre of knowledge and expertise dedicated to improving the lives of people with dementia.Iris Murdoch Building, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, Scotland01786 467740https://www.dementia.stir.ac.uk
  • Free Legal Advice and SupportQualia Law CIC provides free legal advice and support for people living with dementia. We also provide advice to families, carers or professionals in the social care and third sector. Our solicitors are specialists in the areas of: Mental Capacity, Financial Safeguarding, the Court of Protection and Lasting Powers of Attorney.39 Bessborough Drive, Cardiff CF11 8NE, UK07961507940https://www.Qualia-Law.org
    • Show all