There is a strong tendency for Alzheimer's caregivers to assume that they can't do anything about the often "odd" behaviors that dementia patients engage in.

If you read message boards on the Internet you will find that caregivers often complain about these sometimes challenging behaviors to anyone who will listen. This practice is often referred to as venting. Blowing off some steam.

A very common practice for caregivers, we all do it.

As a result, caregivers often come to the conclusion that nothing can be done about these strange, sometimes mean, behaviors that dementia patients engage in. As a result, caregiving becomes both stressful and burdensome.

• If we view the behaviors of Alzheimer's patients from our own "real world" perspective they do seem dysfunctional.
• They often make us feel angry, confused, and lead us to the conclusion that there is nothing we can do about it.
  
  On the other hand, if we come to the realization that many of these behaviors are common to Alzheimer's patients we might come to the conclusion that the brain of a person living with dementia functions differently that ours.