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Caregiver Tip Sheets
IDEA! Strategy
An approach to help you figure out why a Adjust what can be done
behavior is happening and what you can do
about it. You are the one who will need to change, the
person cannot. Try different things. Pay
IDentify the behavior attention to the person’s feelings. Practice
being calm, gentle, and reassuring.
• What is the behavior that is difficult for you to
deal with? Be specific. • address what is causing the behavior
• keep tasks and activities simple
• Can you see it? Does it bother others? When
does it happen? Who’s around when it occurs? • keep the home as calm as possible
• speak slowly and gently — try not to say
Explore what may be too much at once
• do not argue — agree and comfort
causing the behavior the person whether they are right
or wrong
Understand the cause of the behavior
• find meaningful, simple activities so
• HEALTH: Is the person taking a new medication, the person isn’t bored
getting sick, or in pain? • distract or redirect by:
• ENVIRONMENT: Is it too noisy? Is it too hot? Is • offering something they like to eat
the place unfamiliar?
• watching a TV show or listening
• TASK: Is the activity too hard for them now? Are to music
there too many steps? Is it something new?
• asking for their help with a
• COMMUNICATION: Is it hard for the person to simple activity
understand what you are saying?
• leading them to a different room
Understand the meaning of the behavior to • accept the behavior
the person
• some behaviors you may need to
• Does the person feel confused, scared, accept rather than change
nervous, unhappy, or bored? • if there are no safety concerns and it
• Does the person feel like they are being treated doesn’t bother the person, you may
like a child? need to find ways to live with it
• Are there things that remind the person of
something that they used to do when they
were younger like go to work or pick up the
children from school?
844.HELP. ALZ
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