Understanding socially disruptive behaviour in dementia is never easy and treatment is often characterised by policies of control and containment. This volume disputes the traditional medical model of dementia and asserts that if we reach behind the barrier of cognitive devastation and decipher the cryptic messages, it can be shown that much behaviour is not meaningless but meaningful. It contrasts the medical interpretation that sees anti-social behaviour as mere symptoms of disease with a person-centred interpretation that resonates change and resolution, and offers a radical and innovative interpretation of challenging behaviour consistent with the new culture of dementia care, focusing on needs to be met rather than problems to be managed.
