When dementia behaviour becomes aggressive or distressing
If something just happened and you’re not sure what to do next, you’re in the right place.
I've helped more than 1,000 families in these exact moments. The hardest stage of dementia. You don't have to face this alone.
Melissa
Clinical Psychologist • Author • Dementia & Caregiving
$297 AUD (approx $199 USD) · Weekly Q&As · Lifetime access · Money-back-guarantee
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If things have become harder to manage...
Maybe you're hurt, exhausted, and frustrated by:
Aggression, hitting or grabbing
Verbal abuse from someone you love
Accusations — stealing, lying, worse
Refusing showers, medication, any help
Wandering at night
Sundowning — agitation every evening
Personality changes that feel like grief
And you might be thinking:
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“Why is Mum getting so upset over small things?”
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“Why does Dad keep asking the same thing over and over?”
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“Why is this escalating so quickly?”
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“What am I supposed to say when this happens?”
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“Am I making this worse without realising?”
I've helped more than 1,000 families in these very moments — there are ways to respond that can calm things instead of escalating them.
Here is how I help families
Inside my Dementia Playbook, you'll get video workshops, practical strategies that actually work, and a weekly live Q&A with me — so you're never left figuring this out alone.
For this stage of the playbook:
👵🏼 Understand what's driving the behaviour
It's neurological, not personal — and understanding why changes everything.
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Learn what usually triggers aggression and agitation
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Why reasoning makes it worse, and what to do instead
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The importance of 'stepping into their world'
☀️ My Unmet Needs Management Plan:
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Know exactly what to say and do when Mum/Dad is agitated, aggressive, sundowning, resistant to care, paranoid, distressed and more. No more guess work.
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Use proven strategies to reduce how often behaviours happen (and how intense they are)
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Feel more confident in hard moments instead of panicking or freezing
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How to explain to others (neighbours, friends, carers) in ways that protect your parent’s dignity
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Know when and how to get professional help for BPSD
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Feel less shame and isolation — these behaviours are common, and manageable (and you're truly not alone)
$297 AUD (approx $199 USD) · Weekly Q&As · Lifetime access · Money-back-guarantee
The weekly Q&As are the part families say they can’t live without
Join this week's Q&A session 💬
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Ask questions about your Mum or Dad
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Get support with difficult conversations or situations
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Understand what to do next when things change
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Check whether something is normal or not
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Learn from other families facing similar challenges
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Have a plan for your family...
Many families say this becomes the most valuable part of the program
Melissa
"The weekly Q&As have been a lifeline. Hearing Melissa answer questions, and realising other families are facing the same things, makes me feel less alone and more capable of handling what’s ahead. Thank you thank you!"
Anne S, Darlinghurst
$297 AUD (approx $199 USD) · Weekly Q&As · Lifetime access · Money-back-guarantee
And when families have a clear plan, everything starts to feel less overwhelming
💬 "I sat in my car and cried more times than I can count. I don't do that anymore." Kate T, Auckland NZ
Families often start here:
Dreading each day
Reacting with no plan
Everyone doing it differently
Exhausted and guilty
Wondering if care home is the only option
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After working through my Dementia Playbook:
Know what to expect
Respond with confidence
Whole family aligned
Steadier — even on hard days
Able to keep caring at home
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This is all possible for your family too
Hi, I'm Melissa Levi
Clinical Psychologist | Ageing & Dementia Specialist
Most families navigating dementia feel completely alone — not because there's no information out there, but because none of it tells you what to actually do.
That's the gap I've spent my career trying to close.
I spent a decade working inside St Vincent's Hospital's Older Persons Mental Health team — sitting with families at the hardest moments of their lives, watching them arrive scared, and helping them leave with a plan. I saw what made the difference between families who coped and families who crumbled. It wasn't love. They all had that. It was knowledge, and someone to guide them through it.
Since then I've run a private practice helping families navigate every stage of the dementia journey, advised and educated some of Australia's leading residential aged care providers, and written We Need to Talk About Ageing, published by Hachette in 2023.
The Dementia Playbook is filled with the same strategies, scripts, and practical advice I offer families face-to-face.
You don't need to figure this out alone. I've been here before. Let me show you the way through.
Melissa
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"Mom got to the point where my kids were frightened of her. She was aggressive, unpredictable — nothing like the woman who raised me. I didn't know how to help her or explain it to my children. This gave me the words, the strategies, and honestly — my mom back, in the ways that still matter."
Jennifer M, Chicago
"The weekly Q&As have been a lifeline. Hearing Melissa answer questions, and realising other families are facing the same things, makes me feel less alone and more capable of handling what’s ahead. Thank you thank you!"
Anne S, Darlinghurst
“When Mom’s dementia got harder.. the wandering, the aggression, our family was falling apart. Everyone had a different idea of what to do. Melissa helped us see the bigger picture and gave us tools we could all agree on. We stopped spinning in panic and started working together with empathy instead of fear.”
Sam T, New York
Feedback from families refer to experiences with my dementia and ageing programs and Q&A sessions, not to psychological or clinical services.
What your family gets inside the Dementia Playbook
Step-by-step guidance for every stage of dementia
Weekly Q&A sessions with me
Practical videos, scripts and tools for real-life situations
Lifetime access for your family
No risk, 7-day money back guarantee
Many families say they wish they had this sooner
Lifetime access to all 9 stages + weekly Q&A support
Unlock for $297 AUD
(approx. $199 USD)
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Member of:
And there is support for every stage of the dementia journey
My Dementia Playbook includes all 9 stages – so you'll have the right support now, and as your family's needs change over time
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Something’s not right
Recognising early changes and encouraging Mum or Dad to see their doctor.
Diagnosis
Understanding the diagnosis and knowing what to focus on first.
Living safely at home
Supporting independence while reducing everyday risks.
Planning the future
Having important conversations (health, finances and legals and care) while Mum or Dad can still guide decisions.
Being a carer
You’re suddenly organising appointments, solving problems, and trying to keep Mum or Dad safe. A playbook to caring for Mum – and yourself too.
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Reducing carer stress
Finding ways to make caring sustainable for you and your family.
Difficult behaviours
Responding to confusion, agitation and personality changes and more.
Introducing help at home
How to introduce care without escalating distress, and preparing for common objections
Moving into residential care
Choosing the right home and helping Mum or Dad settle well.
You don’t need to figure everything out today
— just the stage your family is in right now
🌟 All-inclusive, one-time payment of $297 AUD (approx. $199 USD)
Lifetime access for your family
No-risk, 7-day money back guarantee
Common questions
Is this for me/my family?
If you're supporting a parent or loved one with dementia and want to feel less overwhelmed and more prepared — yes, this is for you.
Don't we need to see you in person?
No — and here's why this works better. Professional dementia support often has 6+ month waitlists. My Dementia Playbook gives you expert strategies 24/7, plus live weekly Q&A where I answer your family's specific questions — all for less than the cost of one appointment.
Is this just for Australians?
No, not at all — dementia is a universal experience.
Families worldwide share the same fears and challenges. Just note I use 'Mum' instead of 'Mom' and 'Ageing' instead of 'Aging'.
What if this isn't right for me?
If you're not satisfied within 7 days, contact me for a full refund.
No questions asked.
What access will I have to Melissa?
Pre-recorded workshops, live webinars, and weekly Q&A sessions. Plus a private member community to connect with me, my team, and other families (coming soon).
As stated in our Terms of Use, Talking Ageing Pty Ltd is not engaged in rendering therapy services by providing this site, and your use of the site does not create any therapist-patient or other treatment relationship between you and Talking Ageing or Melissa Levi or any of its representatives.
Know what to look for — and what steps to take next
$297 AUD (approx $199 USD) · Weekly Q&As · Lifetime access · Money-back-guarantee
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"Warm and compassionate, Melissa offers sound clinical information and practical advice... Sure to be helpful for all families."
- Scientia Professor Henry Brodaty, Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, UNSW Sydney
