When a person is putting themselves and/or people around them, such as family members or carers, at any sort of risk, their behaviour can be said to be “challenging”. Challenging behaviour can also impact a person’s ability to take part in many activities and negatively impact their overall quality of life.
There are many signs of challenging behaviour, including being disruptive and destructive, showing aggression, and self-harming. As health issues affecting the brain and the ability to communicate often impact the way a person behaves towards themselves or others, people with dementia and certain learning disabilities may display singular or combinations of challenging behaviours.
Understanding challenging behaviours
Carers for people who are displaying challenging behaviours should always try to understand exactly why someone is behaving in a particular way. For example, they may be in physical discomfort or pain, feel bored, or are experiencing feelings of anxiety.
This level of understanding is incredibly important because by successfully identifying any early signs, it should be possible to provide the appropriate care to minimise outbursts of difficult behaviours.
If a person typically experiences feelings of anxiety in situations where they are surrounded by other people, arranging for 1-1 support or smaller group activities may prevent agitation and help to manage their behaviour.
Seek out a challenging behaviour training course
From understanding how to identify the signs of challenging behaviours to recognising which strategies will best help to manage difficult situations, there are a variety of training courses available, such as this one tidaltraining.co.uk/learning-disability-training/challenging-behaviour-training-breakaway-techniques which focus on techniques that can diffuse and de-escalate quickly and efficiently.
Support for carers
If you are finding it difficult to manage the behaviours of someone you are caring for, your GP can make a specialist referral. Additionally, as the NHS website highlights, there are also a variety of organisations available to both carers and people who are experiencing health conditions, many of which can provide emotional support and practical advice in a supportive, non-judgemental, and understanding environment.
In the most extreme circumstances, when someone’s behaviour is causing harm either to themselves or to other people and all other avenues have been explored, a medical professional may prescribe medication to help calm the situation. In this situation, it is important to understand the potential side effects of any medication to ensure that the best decisions are being made for everyone involved.