Dealing with Anger When Providing Alzheimer’s Care in Auburn, NH

Anger and Alzheimer’s go hand-in-hand, which is incredibly difficult to handle when providing Alzheimer’s care. Aggression is normal in most people occasionally, but a loved one with Alzheimer’s may become aggressive more frequently than expected. At Visiting Angels of Auburn, we recommend familiarizing yourself with the causes and preparing to manage angry outbursts to make caring for your loved one a little easier.

Alzheimer’s Care in Auburn: How to Prepare for and Manage Outbursts

Be Familiar with the Causes

Being familiar with the causes of anger is the first step in preventing an outburst. Knowing what causes your loved one to get angry will only aid you in anger prevention in the future and help provide better Alzheimer’s care.

Much of the anger that your loved one exhibits can be attributed to:

?Physical Causes. This could be soreness, pain, discomfort, or exhaustion. It could also be the result of the frustration from not being able to do certain physical activities anymore.
?Emotional Causes. This usually has to do with the amount of stimulation that your loved one is getting, resulting in over-stimulation or boredom.
?Mental Causes. Typically, confusion, which is brought about by difficulty thinking or remembering. It could also be due to a drastic change in environment.

Be Prepared to Manage Outbursts

While familiarizing yourself with the causes of anger may prevent your loved one from having an outburst frequently, they are still to be expected. Because of this, you need to be prepared to manage angry outbursts.

Here are some ways to successfully manage angry outbursts:

?Find the root cause of their anger and attempt to resolve it.
?Refrain from using force, even when faced with physical violence.
?Speak in a tone that is calm and comforting and avoid sounding upset.
?Remove yourself from the situation until both of you calm down.
?Sympathize with your loved one, rather than try to argue or reason.

Do not scold your loved one for having angry outbursts, because they are not in control of their own emotions. Family members often make this mistake when providing Alzheimer’s care to their loved ones. Ultimately, scolding is not an effective means of handling an outburst because your loved one is likely to forget the outburst immediately after and not understand what they are being scolded for.

Be Ready to Contact a Care Provider

If providing senior care to your loved one is becoming too much to handle on your own, maybe it is time to contact Visiting Angels of Auburn. Contact Visiting Angels of Auburn today to discuss your Alzheimer’s care options in Auburn or the surrounding area and set up a free consultation.