It’s been a while since we posted anything. Sorry—busy with
other stuff—holidays, family, etc. After
all we ARE retired! But we are back. Dealing with acting-out seems to be a
major topic of concern, and rightfully so. Since behavior management drugs can
be so dangerous for our LBD folks, our focus is in identifying ways to do this with
fewer or no drugs.
Acting out is the behavior your loved one uses to
communicate feelings of anxiety, stress, fear or pain. If you can identify the
trigger of the feeling, you are on your way to decreasing the behavior. For
instance, if it is a certain time of day, what is he usually doing then? Can you make
that less stressful?
LBD limits your loved one’s ability to do executive
tasks like think, learn or make decisions. Thus, anything that requires an attempt to do these tasks will increase anxiety. (Just think about what it's like when you try to do something you can't figure out how to do, especially if it is something you think you should be able to.) In addition, LBDers are supersensitive to intense
physical stimuli such as light, noise, heat, cold, etc. Their bodies just don’t
adapt well anymore. Here are some things
you can manage in your environment:
Clutter: A room
filled with clutter gives your loved one too many choices of where to direct
their attention. Put away all but a few
items.
Light: Besides the general sensitivity to strong
stimuli, LBD folks are especially sensitive to light. Make sure your rooms are
lighted in a soft, non-glaring light. Avoid sun-glare. Keep your LBDer shaded
when you go outside.
Noise: Make sure TVs
and other types of noise stay at tolerable levels. Use softer tones yourself and teach others to
do so around your loved one.
Media: LBD takes
away the ability to separate reality from make-believe. For example, if the police
are chasing the bad guy, you loved one may join in the chase—or feel chased. Monitor
all media and replace exciting, scary shows with something more calming.
Choices: Offer no more than two. Yes or no, here or
there, the chair or the sofa, etc.
People: Try to
avoid crowds; they bring too much stimuli and require too many choices. For
instance, the murmur of several different people talking at the same time at a
party or even a small family gathering can feel overpowering.
Replacement items: New items are no longer fun—they require
learning. Try to duplicate a worn out sweater instead of buying one of a
different color or style. Buy the same kind of underwear.
Watch for future entries where we'll talk about more ways to decrease acting out.
