New technology
Dementia care: from guesswork to guidance
Consultant behaviour analysts Dr Emma Williams and Dr Ashley Dysarz discuss how a groundbreaking new combination of behavioural science and smart technology could transform dementia care by predicting and preventing distressed behaviours
In some parts of the UK, over 40 per cent of people living with dementia in residential care homes are prescribed antipsychotics. Behind that are carers who are struggling to do their best without the right support. Every day in dementia care settings
across the nation, carers face challenges in responding to moments of crisis when the individuals they care for experience distressed behaviours. Distressed behaviours often include shouting or attempting to harm themselves or others, pacing restlessly, or becoming silent and withdrawn. For carers, these behaviours are not just challenging to respond to, they can often be upsetting and emotionally draining. Families, too, watch helplessly as their loved ones become distressed in ways that feel sudden, severe, and heartbreaking, until they are unrecognisable. In reality, these moments are rarely random. They are signs of unmet needs that get lost in translation
from the person living with dementia to those who care for them, expressed in the only way they may still know how. Despite the best intentions of frontline
carers and family caregivers, current systems often fall short in providing effective levels of support. Behaviour support is extremely limited, carer training is inconsistent, and real-time solutions from professionals in the field are almost non-existent. As a result, many care homes turn to antipsychotic medication intended for short-term use, but it is often continued indefinitely despite well-documented risks including increased confusion, falls, and even early death. Meanwhile, carers themselves are experiencing significant burnout, resulting in placement breakdowns, poor quality of life for the person with dementia and the caregiver, high staff churn rates, and mounting costs. People living with dementia often struggle to communicate their needs, leading to
behaviours such as aggression, agitation, or withdrawal. These behaviours are a form of communication, which are communicating unmet needs. With the right support at the right time, these distressed behaviours can be predicted, understood, and even prevented. We need to rethink our response to provide smarter, more compassionate tools that empower staff in tough situations and bring dignity back to dementia care.
Why this matters Distressed behaviours in dementia care are not only heartbreaking to witness, but they also carry enormous human, emotional, and financial costs. For the individual, moments of aggression, agitation, or withdrawal can strip away their dignity and independence. For carers, these behaviours create daily, even minute by minute moments of isolation, anxiety, fear, and exhaustion. Surveys show that nine in ten dementia
October 2025
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