Dementia and Anger: 6 Calming Strategies

It's not uncommon for seniors to express some anger and frustration when they have dementia. As a caregiver, you need to know how to calm them and handle the situation. Baltimore Home Care has a few strategies you can adopt to calm your loved one.

1. Understand Their Limits

Telling your loved ones to brush their teeth may seem like a simple task. However, for someone who has dementia, it's actually a huge task. Not only do they need to remember which bathroom to go to, but they also have to remember which toothbrush is theirs, which tube is toothpaste, how to actually brush their teeth, and what to do with the toothpaste when they're done brushing. It's a series of complex steps that can be easy to get wrong for someone re-learning the task.

As a caregiver, you need to understand their limits. Instead of pushing them, you should work with them.

2. Make Complex Decisions Simpler

One reason your loved ones may be upset is that they may feel that you're controlling their life. However, they're unable to make complex decisions for themselves. A way to avoid this argument is to make those complex decisions simpler.

An example is choosing what to wear. On their own, your loved one may be unsure of how to even begin choosing. Doing it for them may make them angry with you, especially if they don't like your choice.

A solution is to choose two or three different outfits, then lay them out. You give your loved one the ability to choose between them.

3. Eliminate Environmental Noise

When you're trying to think about something, you likely need to turn down the music or go into a quiet area. The excess noise can make thinking difficult. Your temper may even flare if you have shouting kids while you're trying to think.

Seniors with dementia often feel the same. Except thinking for them is even more difficult. If you want to give your loved ones the best environment for them to think in, then you need to eliminate environmental noise.

4. Keep Things Slow

You're likely used to a certain pace. What may seem like a normal pace to you is fast to your loved one. Everything takes a little bit more time. You need to have enough patience to be able to slow things down. By allowing your loved one to have the time to work things through, you can avoid fights and anger.

5. Give Them Respect

Just because your senior has dementia doesn't mean that they're not worthy of respect. If anything, they're even more worth it. Giving your loved ones the respect they need can help take the heat off of things. When they hear the respect in your voice, it helps calm them down, too. They're not as embarrassed and can focus a bit more.

6. Stick with a Routine

Home Care Baltimore understands that routines help. It can establish a familiar pattern for your loved one. If you want to keep them calm, then creating a routine that they can follow each day is a great idea. Removing the routine may upset them.