Anger Management Tips for Seniors with Dementia

Dementia in seniors is marked by a persistent decline in their intellectual abilities like memory, judgment, language, and abstract thinking. The activities which are very simple for us, like brushing our teeth, becomes difficult for a senior suffering from dementia. Sometimes, they may even forget the color of their brush and so many other basic things.

When even the easiest tasks of the daily routine seem complex and overwhelming, it is obvious for seniors to feel frustrated. This frustration often turns into anger, which can harm relationships, impair their judgment abilities, and have a negative impact on the way people see them. This is when the need of anger management comes in.

Here are some tips to follow as a family member in order to manage anger towards both yourself and your senior loved one:

1. Keep the distress and worries away from them as long as possible, and try to comfort them by listening to their talks attentively. Most of all, they need is your love, support and care.
2. Try to help them diminish their confusion. Due to the decline in their brain function and loss of memory, seniors often get confused in simple things, which further results in anger.
3. Handle them calmly and politely. They may be angry for some reason you can’t understand but your support, care and attention will help them deal with the situation better.
4. Give them memory reminders. Help them by providing small memory cues so that they do not forget things. Split a task for them into small parts so that they can easily carry out the whole “small” task without difficulty.
5. Never make them feel lonely and try to understand their emotions rather than focusing on their rude behavior.
6. Encourage them to exercise regularly. Exercises have many physical and mental health benefits.

If your senior loved one is suffering from dementia and you are unable to deal with their anger, try to follow the tips mentioned above. You can contact Always Best Care for professional help regarding senior care. Always Best Care is one of the leading Home Health Care Providers in Vancouver. To learn more, call them at (778) 945-3010.