Table 3.

Nonpharmacologic approaches to manage common behavioral symptoms and mood disorders7

Behavioral symptom	Nonpharmacologic intervention
Apathy	Stimulation/activities Simple tasks
Sleep disturbances	Take steps to maintain regular, good quality sleep Stimulation during the day (especially adult day services) Reduction in excessive stimulation/noise in the evening
Irritability/agitation	Break down tasks into simple steps Redirection
Wandering	Visual cues Exercise Safe places to wander Enrollment in wandering assistance schemes
Mood disorders	Exercise
Psychotic disorders	Reassurance Distraction rather than confrontation Removal of potential sources of confusion, e.g., mirrors
Eating/appetite disorders	Offering simple, finger foods Removal of distractions from dining area Soothing music

Permission to reproduce this table was kindly provided by the Alzheimer's Disease Program, California Department of Public Health.