Alzheimers Agitation, Anger, and Aggression:
How to handle it!
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Alzheimers agitation, anger, and aggression can be very difficult for family members. Especially when this behavior is totally out of character from the person they were before the disease took over. The main cause of these behaviors is usually frustration. But they can have other triggers. Often this behavior will just appear out of the blue.
Prevention is the first course of action.
You will need to learn what triggers the behaviors and try to eliminate the trigger. Maintain a calm environment. Listen to them if they are still able to talk. You must remain calm, keep your voice as soft as possible, and try to understand and solve the problem. Learn what you can do to appear non-threatening. You should stand sideways instead of face to face, keep 2-3 feet of space in between you, and use calming phrases. Calming phrases are “I understand”, “how can I help you”, and “everything will be OK”.
Alzheimers agitation can lead to aggressive behavior!
Interventions for Alzheimers Agitation
Never argue with someone with Alzheimer’s Disease! Their reasoning ability is gone. You will only add fuel to a fire you can’t control. Your goal is to find the cause of the agitation and diffuse the situation. Arguing with the agitated person will cause them to become more frustrated and agitated
Redirection will often eliminate the behavior.
An example I use frequently is: a man in the middle stage of Alzheimer’s Disease occasionally wants his car. He gets agitated and aggressive very easily. I tell him his daughter took the car in for an oil change and she will bring it back when it is done. He fusses for a minute and I redirect him to watch a movie while he waits for her. After a few minutes, he completely forgets about the car.
Calm, relaxing music can prevent agitation.
If you can keep this type of music playing in the background of your home can help keep your family member from becoming agitated. The more mellow the music the stronger the calming effect is. Try different types of music to find which ones work best. There are different music internet channels such as Pandora, that allow you to build a playlist of songs. You can have a couple of different playlists to switch back and forth.
There are also several natural calming ingredients that you may want to try. You can find them at your local health food store or online.
Aromatherapy is another method used to help keep a calm relaxing atmosphere in the home. There have been several studies on Dementia patients and aromatherapy. Lavender and Lemon Balm have been found to have the best results for Alzheimers agitation. We now use Lavendar aromatherapy at the hospital I work in.
Distraction for Alzheimers Agitation
Often someone with Alzheimers agitation can be distracted. I have used this many times in my nursing career. Distraction is usually my first intervention for agitation. I have used a phone many times to distract someone. I have had agitated patients looking for a deceased spouse.
They didn’t remember their spouse was deceased. It was much easier and less stressful for them for me to distract them with a phone. I would hand them a phone, dial a number to an empty office and let them listen to the phone ringing for a while.
One of my biggest concerns for caregivers at home is caregiver safety. Alzheimers agitation can lead to violence if not handled appropriately. The caregiver can easily become a victim.
I believe this happens more often than any of us know. Many people don’t understand the disease process or know how to diffuse a situation. They believe they can still reason with someone with Alzheimer’s agitation. This is not the case!
I have seen many people with Alzheimer’s Disease admitted to a nursing home because of their aggressive behaviors. The spouse is often the only one at home with them. The spouse with Alzheimers agitation & aggression hurts the caregiver and the caregiver is often too embarrassed to tell other family members.
All friends & family members should keep an eye out for the safety of the primary caregiver in the home
There are medications available to help control aggressiveness. If you are living with someone who has Alzheimer’s with aggressive behaviors, you need to make sure your doctor is aware of the aggression.
If you have tried the other methods and are still having problems with Alzheimers agitation it is probably time to call the doctor. There are several different medicines available.
Your doctor may need to try a couple of different ones until he finds which one works best for your family member. Make sure you keep your doctor informed of behaviors and whether medicines are helping or not
All episodes of agitation and aggression should be tracked and reviewed with your doctor. The Caregiver Notebook was created with this in mind. It is a quick and easy way to show your doctor the whole picture of any behaviors that may be going on in your home.
