Person-centred care

Helping the person to live well involves providing practical and emotional support, based on what you know about them. The following suggestions may be helpful:

  • If the person has a hearing aid or glasses, it’s important to make sure they are clean, correctly prescribed and used. If they are not being worn or are not working properly, the person may become confused or disoriented. This can lead to them becoming anxious or distressed.
  • Helping the person to have a daily routine can provide them with a sense of comfort and familiarity. Sudden changes to this routine can be confusing or distressing for the person.
  • The person’s environment should not be too noisy, too hot or cold, uncomfortably bright or cluttered. These can all cause the person to become over-stimulated, which can lead to agitation.
  • If the person does not have enough interaction with other people, this can sometimes contribute to changes in behaviour. Having regular one-to- one time can help significantly. When communicating, it is important to listen carefully to the person, look for non-verbal cues (such as facial expressions and body language) and try to understand the reality they are experiencing. 
  • Staying active and involved can help to reduce feelings of stress, frustration and boredom. The person may enjoy activities that are matched to their interests and abilities. These could include arts and crafts, music, exercise, reminiscence or anything else that is meaningful for the person including things they have previously enjoyed. For more information see our activities handbook.

It can be helpful to keep a diary of the person’s behaviour and the circumstances around it. This can often help to identify and resolve reasons for their distress before they get worse. 

Visit the GP

The next step is to find out whether any underlying physical or medical problems may have triggered the person’s changes or made them worse.

If the changes in the person’s mood or behaviour are not easily resolved, they should have an assessment by their GP as soon as possible to check whether the person has:

  • pain or discomfort
  • an infection
  • problems with hearing or vision
  • dehydration
  • constipation
  • alcohol or drug withdrawal
  • problems with their metabolism
  • problems with sleeping.

If any of these are found, the GP will try to manage them appropriately. They will also be able to review the person’s medications. Sometimes the interaction of different medications affects the person’s mood or behaviour.

Occasionally the GP will refer the person to a specialist, such as a geriatrician, psychiatrist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist or dietitian. Together these health professionals can develop a care plan specifically for the person. However, if the problem is very severe or urgent the person may need to go to hospital.

If you are caring for someone and they go into hospital or a care home, staff may ask you to complete a patient information form on their behalf such as Alzheimer’s Society’s This is me. This form records a person’s history, preferences and routines. It can help staff know the person better and help work out what might be causing the person’s distress. Try to involve the person as much as possible when filling this out. 

If the GP thinks that the person could have depression or anxiety, they may recommend trying a combination of drug and non-drug approaches.