Causes Of Agitation And Aggression In People With Dementia

Everyday life can be stressful for a person with Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia. As the disease progresses, behaviors can occur that can be difficult to understand by family or caregivers, making it challenging for caregivers to help their senior loved ones when they are experiencing these negative emotions. 

Although it can be hard to understand the reason behind why people with dementia act the way they do, just keep in mind that your loved one may not be acting out of ill will. There is a reason behind their feelings, it may be a symptom of the disease and a changing brain. By learning what causes a loved one to become upset, or once the underlying cause is identified or understood, caregivers can take steps to prevent or at least decrease this kind ofbehavior.

Agitation, aggression, depression, mood swings, wandering or feeling homesick, hallucinations, delusions or paranoia, verbal outbursts, sleep disturbances, emotional changes, abusive behavior, hoarding or rummaging- are common behaviors associated with dementia disorders.

If you are caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease and struggling to manage their feelings of agitation, you might want to consider home care assistance or memory care. Union County home care consultants can help you find high quality professional care providers for high quality and reliable care for your elderly parent, grandparent or family member.

Let’s learn about the common triggers why people with dementia may experience and express anger, and become agitated:

Three potential trigger categories include

    1.Medical Triggers- Sickness, fever or pain; medication side effects; earache, toothache or headache, and sores, open wounds, pressure areas or bruises.

2.   Psychological Triggers- Not being able to verbally express their pain or give accurate information about how they feel, which they might express non-verbally by exhibiting a change in behavior or functioning level.

3.   Environmental Triggers- No activity, no stimulation and/or isolation; new or unfamiliar caregivers; too much activity or sensory overload; room temperature (too hot or too cold); clutter; clothes not fitting (too tight, shoes too small); white noise like humming of an appliance, lawn mower outside, etc.; lighting that might be too bright or not bright enough.

  Tips for coping:

1.   Give a little space to your loved one

2.   Don’t argue

3.   Give them time (when you are trying to help someone brush their teeth, have patience)

4.   Use distractions like music

5.   One-on-one interactions(more than one person approaching someone with dementia can cause them to get angry)

6.   Determine the cause (besides physical and environmental factors that can affect behaviors and have to be carefully evaluated, also consider that pain, fatigue, hunger, or too much stimulation could also contribute)

7.   Ask the doctor

If you are a caregiver and facing difficulty identifying the causes of  your loved one’s discomfort or agitation, it is best to talk to your doctor about potential triggers.

For more info, check out: https://www.arogahomecare.com

Treatment Methods That Can Be Beneficial For Dementia Patients

Huge strides have been made in dementia care. Today, we know much more about how to help people with the condition, which goes beyond forcefully moving seniors to assisted living facilities- so they can age in place with dignity and independence. When a parent, partner, or someone else you love gets diagnosed with dementia, you want to leave no stone unturned in helping them including their memory, thinking skills, mood, and behavior. It’s a lot to take in, but there are several options for treatment that can help them continue to live a full life with some assistance.

Here are some treatment methods your loved one can reap immense benefits from:

Medication- No medicine can cure dementia, but some may help to keep some of the symptoms at bay. Doctors may prescribe special medications to take during each stage that can help seniors retain their memory and reasoning abilities.

If your elderly loved one is living with a serious medical condition, and needs help managing the tasks of daily living and to manage the medication, reach out to the best home care in Charlotte, NC consultants at Aroga that specializes in the placement of high quality professional care providers.

Adopt Healthy Habits- Steps including working with your loved one’s doctor to treat their dementia symptoms and other conditions that they may have, considering other kinds of therapies that can help with their daily life- can be instrumental in dementia care. However, everyday habits like exercise, staying social, nutrition, getting good sleep, and doing things that challenge their mind can make a big difference in how fast the dementia progresses. Replacing unhealthy habits with good ones, such as quitting smoking can pay huge dividends since quitting smoking increases blood flow to the brain that can help with memory problems.

Alternative Treatment Options- Explore the many natural remedies and alternative treatments available to help older adults manage and treat their dementia. For example, there are certain vitamins and nutrients associated with better cognitive functioning, then there are supplements containing ingredients such as omega-3 fatty acids that boost brain activity, therapies, such as Reminiscence therapy, Cognitive stimulation therapy (CST), Reality orientation training might help jog your loved one’s memory and thinking skills or at least help improve their quality of life.

Counseling and Support- There are no two ways about the fact that dementia diagnosis is stressful. Your doctor treating your loved one’s dementia might refer you to a mental health professional to help your beloved coming to terms with it. Palliative care is an important part of dementia treatment that aims towards improving a person's quality of life—not just in body but also in mind and spirit. You may not be able to stop memory loss from happening, but what you can do is provide support in the form of counseling, at-home care that keeps your loved one safe while addressing the worst of the effects.

For more info, check out: https://www.arogahomecare.com