Why Do Alzheimer’s Patients Get Mean

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.

Faqs About Mean Dementia Behaviors

Why is my mom with dementia so angry?

The short answer is that most of us dont really understand which cognitive skills dementia takes away. More importantly, we do not realize which skills are not lost. And so we inadvertently embarrass people and unintentionally belittle or frustrate them without realizing what weve done by asking them to do something that they cannot do. We then find ourselves on the receiving end of a verbal or physical blow with no idea what went wrong, and their response seems unwarranted or crazy.

Does dementia cause meanness?

Dementia patients who are mean and aggressive are most likely feeling fear, anger and embarrassment because they have been asked to use skills that they no longer have. When they fail, they may lash out at us. As companions, we can learn to support them in the areas where they have lost rational thinking skills and capitalize on the intuitive thinking skills that they will never lose. The DAWN Method teaches us to do this through how we interact with them.

How do I explain something to my husband with dementia without making him angry?

How Is Dementia Treated

Treatment of dementia depends on the underlying cause. Neurodegenerative dementias, like Alzheimers disease, have no cure, though there are medications that can help protect the brain or manage symptoms such as anxiety or behavior changes. Research to develop more treatment options is ongoing.

Leading a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise, healthy eating, and maintaining social contacts, decreases chances of developing chronic diseases and may reduce number of people with dementia.

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What Is The Treatment For Symptoms And Complications Of Dementia

Some symptoms and complications of dementia can be relieved by medical treatment, even if no treatment exists for the underlying cause of the dementia.

• Behavioral disorders may improve with individualized therapy aimed at identifying and changing specific problem behaviors.
• Mood swings and emotional outbursts may be treated with mood-stabilizing drugs.
• Agitation and psychosis may be treated with antipsychotic medication or, in some cases, anticonvulsants.
• Seizures usually require anticonvulsant medication.
• Sleeplessness can be treated by changing certain habits and, in some cases, by taking medication.

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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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What To Do If Alzheimers Patients Sleep A Lot

This idea of patients sleeping a lot and not performing any activity or physiologic need like eating, drinking, and speaking may alarm both caregivers and relatives. It is understandable to panic or be concerned, especially if you have known these people to have been active most of their lives.

If the patient sleeps a lot but is easily woken if they need to eat or drink their medications, there is no need to get concerned as of the moment, this is just a normal symptom of their disease and we could expect this to get worse over time. Just try and allow him to follow an everyday routine so he can grow accustomed to what he needs to do at a certain time. You can also a good tip to turn off all the lights at night so the patients brain gets triggered to sleep.

If the patient chooses to sleep all through the day and this could pose harm to his condition since he would rather snooze than eat or drink, then you must ask his doctor about what steps to take so he does not compromise his health because of his diseases symptom.

Please visit Sleep Clinic Melbourne today if you experience these issues. Click on the link to visit their site.

Is Anger An Early Sign Of Dementia

No. Anger is not typically seen as an early sign of dementia in existing research studies. If your aging loved one is displaying signs of anger, it isnt necessarily a sign of dementia. Anger can be attributed to many causes, including health issues, grief, feeling misunderstood, communication problems, and fear of changes that come with aging.

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Common Causes Of Sleep Problems In Dementia Patients

Troubled sleep is thought to be a dementia risk factor as well as a behavioral symptom. Here are some factors that may contribute to your loved ones sleep problems:

• Brain changes. Dementia patients have steeper changes in their brains sleep architecture and their circadian rhythms, causing sleep disturbances.
• Over-the-counter medications. Some over-the-counter medications labeled PM can disrupt sleep by making patients sleep for a bit but then making them more confused or sleepy at the wrong time, Hashmi says.
• Diet. Caffeine, excess sugar , and alcohol can disrupt sleep patterns, Hashmi says.
• Electronic screens. The blue light from a computer, portable electronic devices, and television screens can delay sleep and disturb sleep patterns, Hashmi says.

At What Point Do Dementia Patients Need 24 Hour Care

When living at home is no longer an option There may come a time when the person living with Alzheimers disease or dementia will need more care than can be provided at home. During the middle stages of Alzheimers, it becomes necessary to provide 24-hour supervision to keep the person with dementia safe.

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Also Check: What Are Some Signs Of Dementia

What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Dementia

Because dementia is a general term, its symptoms can vary widely from person to person. People with dementia have problems with:

• Reasoning, judgment, and problem solving
• Visual perception beyond typical age-related changes in vision

Signs that may point to dementia include:

• Getting lost in a familiar neighborhood
• Using unusual words to refer to familiar objects
• Forgetting the name of a close family member or friend
• Forgetting old memories
• Not being able to complete tasks independently

What Do Elderly People Think About Life And Death

As we get older, death seems to be nearer than when we are younger. In as much as anyone can die regardless of age, for an older person, it seems like it is more likely to happen, especially when dealing with different health conditions that the body does not handle as it used to in the younger years.

For older persons, death does not always spell sorrow and terror, as is the case with younger people. Many of the older people are contented with what the short-term future has for them. You may think that people may get anxious as they become older, but this is not the case. Older people do not have much sadness and anxiety, especially related to death. They are actually more positive about life and death.

As we grow older, our perspective shifts. This is when you realize that things are not as they always seem. Most people fear death because they feel that they will lose the things that they have been working so hard to get over the years. However, for older people, this attachment to things acquired is not really pronounced. This is how some of the fear of death actually melts away.

When you look around you and you realize that there are things that are a part of you that will outlive you actually help in a major way. This could be the legacy we have in children or gardens planted. There are yet others who place value on their country, their religion, or families that live on even after they are gone.

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What Are Some Other Typical Dementia Behaviors

In addition to aggression, confusion, sleep problems and wandering, symptoms of dementia can also include delusions, hallucinations, paranoia, depression, apathy and sexual inappropriateness. And, behavioral dementia symptoms tend to occur more frequently as the dementia progresses.

Up to 90% of patients have one or more of these symptoms during the course of their disease, studies show. It is important to discuss all dementia symptoms with your loved ones physician to rule out or treat any medical conditions that could be causing the behavior.

Understanding Why Someone With Dementia Is Being Mean

Does dementia cause meanness or is something else going on? The short answer is that most of us dont really understand which cognitive skills dementia takes away. More importantly, we do not realize which skills are not lost. And so we inadvertently embarrass people and unintentionally belittle or frustrate them without realizing what weve done. We then find ourselves on the receiving end of a verbal or physical blow with no idea what went wrong, and their response seems unwarranted or crazy.

But think about how you feel when someone you loveor someone you expect kindness fromstarts doing things that make you feel bad. None of us behave well when we feel that were being taken advantage of, made fun of, or picked on. When that happens, we feel indignant and angry and usually tell the other person why. Anger, aggression, frustration, and just plain meanness result when we feel that were not being treated fairly or respectfullyespecially if it happens over and over again with people whom we are close to or expect better from.

This doesnt change when we begin to experience dementia. What changes is the skills we have available to work with. Dementia takes away skills weve been using our entire lives. And even if our companions love us dearly, their attempts to help us often make us feel worse.

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Rummaging And Hiding Things

Caring for a patient who rummages around or hides things in the home can be a challenge, but not an insurmountable one.

What Are The Most Common Types Of Dementia

• Alzheimers disease. This is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for 60 to 80 percent of cases. It is caused by specific changes in the brain. The trademark symptom is trouble remembering recent events, such as a conversation that occurred minutes or hours ago, while difficulty remembering more distant memories occurs later in the disease. Other concerns like difficulty with walking or talking or personality changes also come later. Family history is the most important risk factor. Having a first-degree relative with Alzheimers disease increases the risk of developing it by 10 to 30 percent.

• Vascular dementia. About 10 percent of dementia cases are linked to strokes or other issues with blood flow to the brain. Diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol are also risk factors. Symptoms vary depending on the area and size of the brain impacted. The disease progresses in a step-wise fashion, meaning symptoms will suddenly get worse as the individual gets more strokes or mini-strokes.

• Lewy body dementia. In addition to more typical symptoms like memory loss, people with this form of dementia may have movement or balance problems like stiffness or trembling. Many people also experience changes in alertness including daytime sleepiness, confusion or staring spells. They may also have trouble sleeping at night or may experience visual hallucinations .

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Aggressive Behavior In Memory Care / Assisted Living

The staff in an assisted living home for people with dementia should be uniquely capable at handling aggression in people with dementia. In fact, how a memory care community handles residents who have issues with aggression is a good gauge of whether its the right place for your loved one. If staff seem annoyed by aggression, or disdainful, then they arent good for mom or dad.

To know if a memory care home can handle your loved one with dementias aggression issues, look for these signs: Staff gets to know residents, becoming like friends. If they form a connection or bond to residents, employees at memory care homes will have a better understanding of what triggers aggression and how to cool it down. Communication with loved ones outside the community is encouraged. A memory care home that handles aggression well will want loved ones to be accessible. They should take your phone number so you can be reached quickly to help if the person with dementia decides they need to speak with you. Incidents of aggressive behavior should be documented in reports. This can identify causes of outbursts, and show patterns unique to individuals.

Ask about training. Is there regular training and continuing education for employees, and do they learn techniques to deal with aggressive behavior in residents?

Did You Know?

What Causes Aggressive Behaviour In People With Dementia

As human beings, we all have the same basic needs. These include physical, psychological and social needs. We do things consciously and unconsciously to meet these needs. The symptoms of dementia can make it more difficult for someone to do this.

For example, people with dementia can find it hard to understand whats going on around them. This can be confusing and frightening for them. It is likely that they are trying to stop feeling distressed and to feel calmer again. For example, if someone they do not know well or who they no longer recognise is trying to help them undress, they may feel threatened and try to push the person away. Aggressive behaviour may be:

• caused by the person feeling agitated because of a need that isnt being met
• the persons attempt to meet a need
• the persons attempt to communicate a specific need to others .

See below for examples of how different types of needs may cause a person with dementia to act aggressively.

Physical needs Physical needs.

Psychological needs Psychological needs.

Consider whether they may benefit from psychological therapies with professionals, such as cognitive stimulation therapy or counselling.

Social needs Social needs.

The persons aggressive behaviour may be their response to feeling theyre not able to contribute or are not valued by others. Try to encourage the person to have a daily routine and to do as much as they can for themselves. Support them to be as independent as they are able to be.

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Our Most Frustrating Rational Thinking Losses

If Im experiencing dementia and you ask me to do something I cant do, Ill feel embarrassed, angry, hurt, or all three at once. Its essential that you understand what someone experiencing dementia is no longer able to comprehend for you to avoid getting combative, aggressive, and mean reactions.

Rational Thinking Loss #1Becoming unable to understand why.

Rational thinking skills are for understanding how, why, when, who and whatthe ability to perceive relationships between facts. Dementia takes that away. So if you try to explain to your loved one why they need to do something, or what went wrong, or how to do something, they will not be able to follow you and will end up embarrassed or concluding that youre making fun of them. Anger or hurt feelings will result. Whenever you catch yourself explaining why, stop. Youre asking them to do something they can no longer do. Youll have pleasanter interactions once you build new conversational habits and turn your focus away from why to talking about things that are pleasant.

Rational Thinking Loss #2Becoming unable to see cause and effect.

Rational Thinking Loss #3Becoming unable to follow sequences.

Rational Thinking Loss #4Becoming unable to prioritize.