067 – Interview: Managing Difficult Alzheimer’s Behaviors Without Medications

In This Episode:

Dr. K talks with Paula Spencer Scott, a family life expert and the author of Surviving Alzheimer’s: Practical Tips and Soul-Saving Wisdom for Caregivers. They discuss:

• Paula’s personal experiences caring for her father and her in-laws affected by dementia
• Why she didn’t write a memoir, and instead opted to focus on featuring Alzheimer’s experts and practical caregiving how-tos
• The “Why-This, Try-This” approach to troubleshooting challenging dementia behaviors
• Why it’s so important to learn to better respond to dementia behaviors, and only use medication as a last resort
• A 7-step process that you can use to safely manage difficult Alzheimer’s behaviors
• Why it’s important to “be kinder than you feel” (and be kinder to yourself)

Related episode: 

030 – Drugs for Difficult Dementia Behaviors: What to Know

Related Resources:

• By Paula Spencer Scott:
  • 7 Steps to Managing Difficult Dementia Behaviors (Safely & Without Medications)
    • PDF Cheatsheet: 7 steps to managing difficult dementia behaviors
  • Surviving Alzheimer’s: Practical Tips and Soul-Saving Wisdom for Caregivers
• Delirium: A common problem that speeds Alzheimer’s decline, and how to avoid it
• How to Manage Sleep Problems in Dementia
• Resources for Dementia Caregivers
  • Your local Area Agency on Aging (find it here)
  • Local Alzheimer’s Association chapters (find them here)
  • Alzheimer’s Reading Room
  • AlzAuthors