An Occupational Therapist’s Guide to Understanding (& Managing) Challenging Dementia Behaviors

In this episode, occupational therapist and founder of Your Dementia Therapist Mary Osborne explains how OTs act as "detectives," uncovering the root causes of challenging behaviors like refusal of care, which often stem from memory issues, anosognosia (lack of insight), or trouble initiating tasks. She highlights how occupational therapy helps people maximize their quality of life by adapting daily activities and addresses common caregiver struggles, like refusal of care and the necessity of adapting to dementia’s constant changes. Mary also introduces her "Calm Caregiver Toolkit," a practical resource that blends neuroscience, spirituality, and mindfulness.About this episode’s featured guestMary Osborne is a licensed occupational therapist with over a decade of experience specializing in dementia care. She holds a Master of Occupational Therapy from Louisiana State University (LSU) and has worked in a variety of settings, including skilled nursing facilities and home health. Founder of the platform Your Dementia Therapist, Mary also contributes regularly as an educator, speaker, and content creator focused on practical evidence-based strategies for dementia caregivers.Learn more about Mary here.About Remo’s host Dr. Emily SilvermanDr. Emily Silverman is an internal-medicine physician, Assistant Volunteer Professor of Medicine at UCSF. She is the creator and host of The Nocturnists, an award-winning medical storytelling program that has uplifted the voices of more than 450 clinicians since 2016 through its podcast and live performances. Her work has been supported by a MacDowell fellowship and widely published in numerous publications including JAMA, The New York Times, and NPR. Learn more about Emily by visiting her website.Connect with usLearn more about Remo Health and how we’re delivering better dementia care to patients and those who care for them. Subscribe to the Remo Health newsletter.Follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook for the latest information, news, and guidance on all things #dementia and #brainhealth.Have a question or a topic you’d like to hear more about? Email us at [email protected] information in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not the practice of medicine or any profession. It is not intended to be medical advice and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.