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Coping with Aggressive Behavior
Coping with Aggressive Behavior
When caregiving for someone with dementia, there is a
possibility that their behavior could become aggressive. Most people think of
someone with dementia as being slightly befuddled and a person who repeats themselves.
The other side of the coin is a person who develops aggressive behavior.
Aggressive behavior
A senior who develops aggressive behavior is not being
difficult deliberately. The most common trigger is trying to care for them.
Your senior may not understand what you’re doing and why you’re trying to help
them. They have memory loss and are confused and may start to display some
behavior which is challenging. Or, an overreaction to a normal situation can
cause a mood or behavior change and trigger combative behavior.
Try to understand what it's like to be a dementia patient.
You're not hungry and are peacefully napping, and you're woken up and told you
have to eat. You don't know who it is trying to get you out of your chair, but
you're not going to budge. The person pushes the button on your lift chair to
bring you to your feet and walks you to the kitchen. Then they put a plate of
food in front of you and try to feed you. You get irritated and throw the plate
of food on the floor. When you look at the situation from this perspective, you
may understand why you have the reactions that you do.
How to reduce
combative behavior
There are some ways to help minimize combative behavior in
your loved one. Below are some suggestions which might be helpful:
1.
Don’t be
in a hurry: Be sure to allow lots of time when you’re helping your loved
one with personal needs and getting dressed for the day. If you are stressed
and saying that you’re running late, then that will only get your senior
stressed, anxious and frustrated. This ends up decreasing your senior’s ability
to function.
2. Do some talking: Talk to your loved one about something you know that they’re interested in. This gives a little relaxing time before you start caring for them. By chatting and staying relaxed and taking a few minutes, it can save you precious time instead of spending it trying to calm your loved one down.
3. Visual cues: It helps to use visual clues when caregiving for someone with dementia. If you'd like them to get dressed, then show them with your body what you want. If you want them to brush their hair, brush yours.
4. Timeout: If you become frustrated, make sure your loved one is in a safe place and take a break to regroup. Just that few minutes break can make a lot of difference.
When you're taking care of someone else and the become
aggressive, it can be frustrating. By putting yourself in their shoes, it may
help you to anticipate what reactions they're going to have. Then you can
figure out a way to prevent it, and you'll both be happier.
references:
https://www.alzheimers.net/1-6-15-new-approaches-difficult-behaviors/
https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-to-respond-to-combative-behavior-from-dementia-97987
https://www.alzheimers.net/tips-for-dealing-with-a-parent-who-denies-dementia/