Anger Management and Dementia Care: What Do You Need to Know?

People who have dementia often get angry. They might get angry earlier on in the disease because they hate the fact that they have this disease. Later in the disease, they might get angry because they can’t understand what is going on around them. No matter why your elderly loved one is getting angry, there are some anger management tips that can be used in dementia care. Keep reading here to find out more about what you and senior care providers can do to help your elderly loved one manage their anger.

Avoiding Discomforts

Senior Care Manassas, VA: Anger Management and Dementia Care

One of the best things that you can do for your elderly loved one is to help them stay comfortable in the first place. After a while, you and the senior care providers might learn more about what triggers your elderly loved one to get angry. Once you learn what these triggers are, you can do what you can to help prevent these things from happening. By doing so, you can reduce the times that your elderly loved one gets angry.

Offer Comfort

If your elderly loved one does get angry, be there for them. Show your elderly loved one that you are available to help them feel more comfortable. For example, if your loved one is getting angry, put your hand on their shoulder (if they like people to do this). You could also distract them with a snack or a cup of tea. Do what you can to make them more comfortable.

Plan Ahead

Planning ahead is a great way to manage anger related to dementia. If you already know what the triggers are for your elderly loved one’s anger, you can plan ahead for them. Yes, there are some triggers that you might be able to prevent. However, there may be others that you can’t always prevent. In those instances, having a plan for what will be done is important. These plans can help reduce the length of the anger. For instance, if your elderly loved one gets angry when the phone rings, you may have a plan to have the senior care provider go on a walk with your loved one. This could help your elderly loved one to calm down.

Conclusion

These are some of the anger management tips for handling dementia-related anger. If your elderly loved one is getting angry, hopefully, these tips are going to help reduce their anger. They might also be able to prevent some of their anger from happening in the first place.

 

If you or an aging loved-one is considering Senior Care in Manassas, VA please contact the caring staff at Thrive Health Care Services today. (703) 992-0484

Sources

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/managing-personality-and-behavior-changes-alzheimers