When To Speak With A Doctor
When outbursts become out of control, a person may become unsafe to themselves and those around them. When this happens, it is best to speak with a healthcare professional.
Medications may not be the first choice in managing challenging behaviors. However, when caregivers cannot identify the cause of the anger and it remains persistent, a doctor may evaluate if medications can help.
Here are some answers to common questions about dementia and anger.
Tips For Managing Dementia Wandering
The No. 1 priority is to keep your loved one safe, Hashmi says. He suggests the following actions:
- Secure all doors. Be especially vigilant about doors that lead outside.
- Use technology. Tracking devices and surveillance systems are widely available and affordable.
- Enlist a team. Neighborhood watch groups and local police are often happy to help keep an eye out for your loved one.
Becoming A Caregiver For Those With Dementia
If you prefer not to outsource for your loved ones care, you can become a caregiver yourself. By going through training you can better learn how to care for your loved one and manage their angry outbursts.
At JEVS we provide substantial benefits and thorough training for anyone interested in becoming a caregiver. To learn more about our caregiving opportunities and the benefits it will have on the life of your loved one, contact us today.
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First Its Good To Be Aware Of The Signs Of Anger Such As:
- Shortness of breath
- Tense muscles, a tingly sensation in your body
- Clenching your fists and/or jaw
- Sweating, getting red in the face
- Speaking in a louder voice
- Maybe even wanting to hit the other person
If you notice some or all these arising in you, tell yourself, Im getting angry and I need to be careful about how I respond, take several slow, deep breaths before responding, and even take a time out .
Needs Of The Caregiver
Looking after an Alzheimers patient is extremely difficult and stressful. For the caregiver, this can result in enormous stress and sometimes even a physical and/or mental breakdown. To help manage a patient with Alzheimers disease, here are some tips:
- Get help from other family members if there is no family, consider hiring a nursing healthcare provider to help with some of the daily living activities.
- Try and get a break from caring for example, if the individual is asleep, get some rest yourself.
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Coping With Agitation And Aggression In Alzheimer’s Disease
People with Alzheimers disease may become agitated or aggressive as the disease gets worse. Agitation means that a person is restless or worried. He or she doesnt seem to be able to settle down. Agitation may cause pacing, sleeplessness, or aggression, which is when a person lashes out verbally or tries to hit or hurt someone.
How To Respond To A Person With Dementia Who Is Angry
This blog is the second in a series by the same authors on “How to Respond to a Person With Dementia Who Is…”
Co-written by Nettie Harper, MSRS and Michael Friedman, L.M.S.W.
“Go away, you thief,” Margaret screamed when her son knocked on the door of her room. “You stole my money.” He opened the door and entered. “Get away!” she screamed again. She was sitting in her easy chair. A cup of coffee was on the table next to her. She grabbed it and threw it at him.
“Mother, it’s me, David,” he says. “I didn’t steal your money. You don’t keep money in the room.”
“You’re lying, you thief. Get away from me.” She was looking for something else to throw.
Stung by her words, he felt anger well up in him. He wanted to scream back, but he turned and left the room, closing the door behind him.
His mother has been living with Alzheimer’s for almost a decade. Her memory for names and recent events has diminished more and more over time, as has her ability to deal with situations that diverge from her routines. She can no longer manage her finances, shop, cook or keep herself clean.
David is the child who has stepped in to make sure she has everything she needs and spend time with her. Today’s outburst stunned and hurt him. He was uncertain what to do.
But if it is not a fleeting experience, what could be happening and what can be done?
Here are some rules of thumb that may help you when faced with anger.
If there were only one rule of thumb it would be: Be kind.
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Why Is My Mother With Dementia So Angry
Dementia caregivers get impatient, annoyed, frustrated, and even angry for a variety of reasons, some of which include: Things may not be happening as you’d like or are out of your control. You’re feeling overwhelmed in your role of caregiver, or feel like you do not have enough time for other aspects of your life.
How To Handle Personality Changes And Aggression
Do you remember the old story about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? Gentle Dr. Jekyll invents a potion to separate the good side of his personality from his darker impulses. At first, he can drink the potion and turn himself at will into his evil alter-ego, Mr. Hyde. Soon, however, Dr. Jekyll morphs into Mr. Hyde without tryingâthe dark side of his personality has taken over.
Sometimes it can seem like dementia is turning a loved one into an aggressive Mr. Hyde, who bears little resemblance to the person you once knew. How can you handle these alarming changes?
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Causes Of Anger In Dementia
There are many reasons why someone with dementia may become angry. The anger may be sudden and seemingly come out of nowhere.
Sometimes physical triggers are responsible. If a person with dementia is uncomfortable or in pain, they may react in anger. If they are nauseated or suffer from exhaustion, they may get angry or frustrated as a result of being unable to perform simple tasks.
Emotional triggers may also be to blame. Boredom or overstimulation could result in anger. Feelings of being lonely or overwhelmed may also trigger aggression and anger.
Mental triggers might also be a likely cause. One of the main reasons for anger in dementia is confusion. A sudden change of environment or mixed-up memories or thoughts might lead to anger.
Is Anger An Early Sign Of Dementia
Anger and aggression can be a sign of dementia, especially when it is unprovoked. Any rapid changes in moods or emotions, going from happy to tearful to angry, might be an early sign of dementia. If the anger is accompanied by or a result of confusion, then that is also an early sign of dementia.
Although dementia cannot be defined by one symptom or sign, recognizing early signs of dementia can help you to understand why anger might occur in someone with dementia.
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Do Not Take It Personally
Caretaking for people with dementia carries a lot of emotional and mental weight with it. If anger and aggression outbursts do occur, it is important that you, as the caregiver, do not take it personally.
These fits often come from sources that are completely unrelated to you as the caregiver. Yet, it is important for you to remember that these attacks are not coming from a place of maliciousness.
As a caregiver, it is also important to be forgiving of yourself and build in plenty of me time. Self-care and looking after your own health physical, mental, and emotional is just as important. Your loved one will be able to sense your own distress and emotions as well.
What Causes The Combative Behavior
The most common trigger is the provision of care. Because of memory loss and confusion, people with dementia might not understand why you’re trying to help them and begin to display challenging behaviors
At times, a catastrophic reaction might sometimes be the trigger for combative behavior. A catastrophic reaction is a sudden mood or behavior change that appears to be caused by an over-reaction to normal situation.
It might help you understand the cause if you picture the day through the eyes of someone living with dementia.
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Emotional And Environmental Factor
The most common reason people who suffer from dementia lash out in anger is because they are feeling sad or scared. As dementia worsens, people lose the ability to place experiences in context. Some people, even those who didnt have a history of getting angry, can get so frustrated and scared by this disorientation that they get angry.
Loud noises, overactive environments, physical clutter, large crowds, or being surrounded by unknown people are common factors in patients feeling overwhelmed. In this case, environment and emotional factors go hand in hand.
Ultimately, emotional triggers and environmental factors play a key role in causing anger and aggression. Consider the type of environment your loved one is in and how much interaction and stimuli they receive. Be sure to cater to their emotions to avoid outbursts.
The Rules In Relationships Change With Dementia
If youre spending time with someone whos experiencing dementia, you can avoid the dementia anger stage , but only if you become more aware of whats causing it. When dementia comes into a relationship, the rules change. A relationship including dementia is different from any youve experienced before. You will need to understand the cognitive skills we all normally useand then which ones we continue using when were experiencing dementia.
In my first article in this series , I described our two thinking systems and explained the most frustrating rational thinking losses caused by dementia. I also described our intuitive thinking skillsthose that we continue using. It will be helpful to read that article first if you havent yet.
Who is Judy Cornish?
Judy Cornish is a former eldercare lawyer and the former owner of Palouse Dementia Care, a dementia care agency that provides in-home dementia care to seniors in Moscow, Idaho. She is the author of Dementia With Dignity and The Dementia Handbook as well as the creator of the DAWN Method of dementia care. Judy believes that with a little training, families can provide excellent dementia care at home with less stress and more companionship.
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How To Cope With Common Changes In Behaviour
Although changes in behaviour can be difficult to deal with, it can help to work out if there are any triggers.
For example:
- Do some behaviours happen at a certain time of day?
- Is the person finding the home too noisy or cluttered?
- Do these changes happen when a person is being asked to do something they may not want to do?
Keeping a diary for 1 to 2 weeks can help identify these triggers.
If the change in behaviour comes on suddenly, the cause may be a health problem. The person may be in pain or discomfort from constipation or an infection.
Ask a GP for an assessment to rule out or treat any underlying cause.
Keeping an active social life, regular exercise, and continuing activities the person enjoys, or finding new ones, can help to reduce behaviours that are out of character.
Read more about activities for dementia.
Other things that can help include:
- providing reassurance
- activities that give pleasure and confidence, like listening to music or dancing
- therapies, such as animal-assisted therapy, music therapy, and massage
Remember also that it’s not easy being the person supporting or caring for a person with behaviour changes. If you’re finding things difficult, ask for support from a GP.
Why Does Dementia Elderly Get Angry
Dementia elderly always get angry because of the changes in the brain. The diagnosis of Alzheimers disease and other dementias can make typical life stressors more difficult to deal with. The easygoing person you once knew may now react to things more harshly than before.
Your loved one may be more emotional but these reactions are frequently triggered by something significant, such as illness, pain or environmental factors. Understanding the causes of aggressive behavior in dementia can help caregivers in preventing and dealing with outbursts.
Recommended Reading: Can Dementia Cause Inappropriate Behaviour
Again You Want To Avoid These Extremes To Do So Here Are Some Healthy Ways To Deal With Anger:
What are some healthy ways you deal with anger? Let us know in the comments.
Bill Amt, LICSW, is a licensed clinical social worker and is the Mental Health Program Manager at Iona Senior Services. As a psychotherapist he works with older adults and caregivers who are coping with the emotional challenges of aging, and he also leads support groups for caregivers and people diagnosed with early-stage dementia. He has a Master of Social Work degree from The Catholic University of America.
Second Its Good To Be Aware Of The Way You Usually Express Your Anger:
- Aggressively such as yelling, talking over the other person, arguing, bossing, criticizing, shoving, hitting
- Passive aggressively such as taking longer to do things, abruptly hanging up the phone
- Passively such as not responding, withdrawing
- Assertively stating your opinion, needs, or wishes while being respectful of the other person
When a caregiver loses their temper and becomes aggressive toward the person who has dementia or others, this is a warning sign that they have lost control, need help, and may need to take time off from caregiving responsibilities. And if the behavior becomes abusive or neglectful, then Adult Protective Services will need to get involved. On the other end of the spectrum, unexpressed anger can sometimes result in caregiver depression, which can also be dangerous and affect the health and wellbeing of the caregiver.
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Remember: Your Needs As A Caregiver Matter Too
Dealing with dementia behaviors can quickly wear out a caregiver or family member, causing caregiver burnout.
If your loved ones dementia behaviors have progressed to the point where you cannot manage them alone, help is available. Senior care options like home care or memory care can help relieve some of the caregiving burden while also helping to keep your loved one safe.
If you are feeling resentment, anxiety, or depression, seek help. A caregiver support group, counselor, friend, or family member can offer camaraderie and advice.
Other families, other caregivers, are going through the same thing, Hashmi says. They have a lot of common challenges and common solutions to share. And often those are the most effective, because theyre going through exactly the same process.
Understanding Why People With Dementia Get Angry
Anger in people with dementia is a response to the symptoms of their condition, especially when the condition is in advanced stages. When they are confused or dont understand something, it can be quite frightening, causing them to lash out. While it may be clear to you that youre only there to help, to someone in the midst of a hallucination or a bout of paranoia nothing is clear.
Additionally, people with dementia have lost certain cognitive skills, including those that help them regulate and emote their feelings. This is often why the anger seems to be more like a lashing out than other forms of anger such as the silent treatment. These outbursts can happen without warning and may be attached to seemingly small triggers like being rushed or not getting enough sleep. Whatever the cause of their anger, its important to remember its not personal or on purpose.
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Dont Take It Personally
While it may be hard, its important to remember that what your loved one says out of anger is not intended to hurt you. If you respond negatively because you feel as though theyve insulted you, youll only continue the circle of anger and frustration for everyone involved. When they become angry and say hurtful things, let it go. At the very least, dont express how youre feeling to them. Find support from friends and family at a different time and focus your attention on giving the best care for your loved one.
Its Not A Dementia Anger Stage Its A Natural Stress Response To Something That Is Upsetting
However, if I were experiencing dementia, I couldnt do any of that because I would have lost the necessary skills. If my friend sounds distant and uninterested, I will take it personally. If my husband looks irritated when I slam down the phone and say something mean about her to him, my anger will increase and become grumpiness that persists. I might again be mean to my husband immediately or I might be surly or even aggressive with the next person I meet.
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Try To Identify The Origin Or Cause
Caregivers should try to recall what happened before the reaction that may have triggered someoneâs behavior. There may also be patterns when they become angry, such as during a certain time. It is also essential to rule out pain, hunger, boredom, and lack of sleep.
Discover the link between sleep and dementia here.
How To Respond To Anger And Aggression In Dementia
Understanding the Causes and Finding Ways to Cope
Some people living with Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia remain easy-going. Others develop intense feelings of anger and aggression.
It’s normal to feel surprised, discouraged, hurt, or even angry when someone with dementia lashes out at you for no obvious reason.
It’s important to understand what causes anger in dementia. This will help you learn how to respond and cope in these situations.
This article looks at some of the reasons for anger and aggression in people with dementia. It also offers some coping tips for caregivers.
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