Dementia can be very cruel and difficult to deal with when it begins to have an effect on your loved one. Their personalities can begin to change with sudden outbursts suddenly appearing out of nowhere.
Grief, frustration, and sadness are all common responses when you deal with this as a caregiver. We wanted to compile some of the common behaviors and provide tips on what to do when they occur.
Emotional Aggression
Those struggling with dementia will sometimes lash out and say mean and combative comments. Often, this comes from a level of fear or an unmet need of your loved one which is important to keep in mind when dealing with them.
Do: keep your vocal tone soft and see if you can redirect them towards another activity.
Physical Aggression
It is sometimes jarring when you see a loved one with dementia first lash out with physical aggression. This can also become more prevalent later in the evening (known as Sundowner’s Syndrome). They might punch, kick, or even bite when these occurrences happen.
Do: avoid trying to physically restrain your loved one and try to rely on experts to help.
Paranoia
Depending on the stage of dementia your loved one is at, they might begin to experience paranoia and other delusions. It’s tough when this happens because they can become quite convinced that what they believe is true.
Do: always remain calm and use very simple language when you respond to their delusions. Getting into a long and drawn-out explanation might add to their confusion/belief and make the situation worse.
It is a tough time for you to experience as their caregiver and seeing a loved one experience dementia is difficult. Ask the memory care facility your loved one is in for additional tips that they might be able to provide.
