Dementia can cause seniors to act in ways that aren’t normal for them. Changes in their brains can alter their personalities. Your parent, who has always been kind and gentle, may become surly, prone to anger, and aggressive.

It’s very difficult as a family caregiver not to take it personally when your parent yells at you, calls you names, accuses you of stealing from them, or gets aggressive with you. But it’s not personal. Remember that. They still love you, and it’s not personal.

Knowing that doesn’t make it any easier to handle it when a parent becomes aggressive, but dementia home care can make it easier.

How Dementia Home Care Can Help

Having dementia home care has a lot of benefits for your parent and for you. You and your parent can both benefit from regular visits from someone with training and experience helping seniors with Alzheimer’s.

A care provider that specializes in dementia home care can help you understand why your parent’s behavior has changed, and give you tools to help you deal with those changes. When your parent becomes aggressive, a dementia home care provider might suggest using methods like these to calm them down:

Stay Calm and Don’t Argue

When your parent gets angry or lashes out, it’s important to stay calm. Yelling back or trying to reason with them usually makes things worse. Instead, speak in a soft, steady voice. Use simple words like “It’s okay” or “I’m here to help you.”

Your parent may not understand logic the way they used to, but they can still feel your tone and body language. Staying calm helps them feel safer, and it also helps you think more clearly in the moment.

Look for the Cause

Aggression is usually a reaction to something. Your parent might be in pain, hungry, tired, too hot or cold, or overwhelmed by noise or bright lights. They may also be scared because they don’t recognize where they are or who you are in that moment.

Try to figure out what might be bothering them. Ask yourself:

• Are they uncomfortable?
• Did something just change?
• Are they trying to do something and can’t?

If you can spot the cause, you can often fix the problem and help them calm down.

Redirect Their Attention

Sometimes the best way to stop aggression is to gently change the subject or activity. If your parent is yelling or upset, try saying, “Let’s have some tea,” or “Can you help me fold this towel?” Giving them a new focus can help shift their mood.

Use familiar, comforting items like a favorite blanket, old photos, or soft music to distract and calm them. Avoid saying “calm down” or “stop it,” which may sound like commands and make things worse.

Give Them Space if Needed

If your parent is hitting, throwing things, or acting very aggressively, it may be safest to step away for a few minutes. Make sure they’re not in danger, then give them space to cool off.

Come back when they seem more relaxed and speak gently. Sometimes, a short break is all they need to reset. Never try to force them to do something when they’re angry; that will only increase their frustration.

Get Dementia Home Care

Aggression in a parent with dementia is hard, but it’s not their fault. And it’s not your fault either. Their brain is changing, and they need your patience, support, and understanding.

By staying calm, looking for causes, redirecting attention, giving space, and reaching out for help, you can keep both your parent and yourself safer and more at peace. Call to learn more about dementia home care and how it can help you both.

If you or an aging loved one is considering Dementia Home Care in Columbus, NE, please contact the caring staff at AmanaCare today. Call (402) 440-5878 | For Central Nebraska, Call 308-663-3828

AmanaCare Provides Senior Home Care Services in Lincoln, Kearney, Grand Island, North Platte, Hastings, Omaha, Columbus, Broken Bow, Scottsbluff, Norfolk, and surrounding areas.

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AmanaCare Staff

The word Amana means “faithfulness, loyalty, constancy, devotion, integrity, trust.” It also means “support, confirmation; a guardian.” At AmanaCare, our goal is to confirm the inherent value of our clients and to support them through their unique circumstances. By providing constant, reliable care tailored to each person, we seek to be the guardian that they and their loved ones can trust. Every person is a unique gift from God, and therefore care is not one-size-fits-all. We craft our care plans to assist with your specific needs, the way you want them done. We set your care plan according to family needs and help you remain an active member of your family and community.

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