Individualised behavioural support
Behaviour analysts are trained to analyse human behaviour, understand why behaviour is occurring, and design individualised support that improves quality of life.
PACT provides bespoke behavioural assessment and intervention support for people living with dementia and older adults who are experiencing distress, behavioural expressions of unmet needs, disengagement, apathy, or skill loss.
We work alongside families, care providers and professionals to understand the context of behaviour, identify what need the behaviour may be meeting, and design support that is compassionate, practical and personalised.
Support with behavioural expressions of unmet needs
We can support with a wide variety of behavioural concerns. If the behaviour you are concerned about is not listed here, please contact us. If we cannot help, we can suggest other sources of support where possible.
Verbal aggression or physical aggression
Wandering, exiting or restlessness
Hoarding or repetitive behaviours
Repetitive questions or confusion
Refusal of personal care
Transferring or mobility-related concerns
Feeding problems or mealtime difficulties
Not using glasses, hearing aids or walking aids
Obsessive behaviours or routines
Other behaviours affecting quality of life
How we approach assessment
Behaviour does not happen in isolation. When assessing behaviour, we take into account the person’s life history, physical health, emotional state, communication, skills, environment and the way their needs are or are not being met.
We work with other professionals where appropriate to rule out medical or other causes of distressing behaviour. We then assess the behaviour to understand its function, design a personally tailored intervention, train caregivers or staff to deliver the intervention, and collect data so the support can be adjusted over time.
Our goal is always to improve quality of life by helping the person’s needs be met, supporting as much independence as possible, and preserving choice and control wherever this can be achieved safely.
Supporting carers as well as the person
We know how difficult it can be to support someone who is experiencing distressing behaviour. By the time you contact us, you may be exhausted and unsure what to try next.
We will never judge you or make you feel bad. Our role is to support you and improve quality of life for you, your loved one, your client or the person you support.
Increasing engagement
We also work with people who may not be showing obvious distressed behaviour, but who spend much of their day disengaged or apathetic.
We can assess why engagement is low and work with carers, care providers and the person to develop personalised support that helps them reconnect with activities, people and routines they enjoy.
Memory and skill retention
Some clients want support to preserve skills or behaviours they anticipate they may lose, or are beginning to lose, due to a progressive condition or cognitive decline.
This may include maintaining communication, remembering important names, taking medication, or preserving routines and abilities for as long as possible.
Why we work as a package
Bespoke behavioural assessment and intervention is offered as a package rather than a simple hourly service, because behaviour is complex and cannot be properly assessed within an arbitrary time limit.
To understand why behaviour is happening, we often need to see patterns over time, assess the context in which behaviour occurs, try different approaches, and adjust support as we learn more.
We also include caregiver or staff training as part of the package. Providing a report alone is unlikely to create long-term change; people supporting the older adult need to feel competent, confident and able to apply the support in real life.
Who can request support?
PACT can take referrals from private family members, people living with dementia, care home managers, nursing home or EMI home managers, clinical psychologists, GPs, social workers, memory clinic professionals, speech and language therapists and other healthcare professionals.
Services are usually privately funded, except for a limited number of interventions in North Wales that may be funded through social services. If this may apply to you, please contact PACT to discuss this further.
Please contact us for bespoke pricing. We are always happy to chat first to make sure an assessment and intervention package is the right option for your situation.
Related work
Related work: Less Distress
If you are looking for practical tools to help understand and respond to distress in dementia care, you may also be interested in Emma’s Less Distress work through EmWill Care.
Interested in bespoke behavioural support?
Contact PACT to discuss the circumstances and whether a behavioural assessment and intervention package may be appropriate.