Should we use the term "behaviours" when talking about people living with dementia?
The word “behaviours” comes with quite negative connotations. That is, if you think of a child and his or her behaviour, what comes to mind? Generally, the picture will be of a child being mischievous or disrupting others, that is, the term “behaviours” generally creates an impression of “misbehaving”. Consequently, it is not a useful word when referring to people living with dementias.
People living with dementias are not “misbehaving” and the person is not a recalcitrant child. So, it is important to listen to what a person says, and if the person is having difficulty expressing themselves verbally, to listen to the actions and responses of the person. We all communicate in a variety of ways every day. No-one has perfect verbal expression, and we can all feel clumsy and awkward and stumble over the right words to say. So we make up for this with our bodies. We gesticulate, we stand or sit in a particular way, or we can raise our voice to command more authority. And we can get angry if we feel we are not heard or understood. It is no different for a person who is living with dementia. If the affected area of the brain relates to communication and language the person may find it very hard to verbally express him or herself. It may also be difficult to express what he or she is feeling or experiencing. So we need to listen (literally and laterally) to not only what the person is saying, but how the person is expressing him or herself. Also be wary of thinking that a person who is living with dementia can't have fun and be wanting to express a sense of humour and frivolity. Not all actions and responses of people living with dementias relates to "unmet needs", it may be a desire. So “behaviours” is not a helpful relational-centred term when talking about people living with dementias, or any person as a matter of fact.
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