Alzheimer's Care in Oakwood OH

How To Help A Parent With Alzheimer’s When They’re Frustrated

If you’re a caregiver for a senior parent with Alzheimer’s, you need to know how to handle many different kinds of situations. When your senior loved one with Alzheimer’s is frustrated or angry, it can be difficult to handle because of the dynamic that you have with them as their child. Alzheimer’s care for seniors can provide respite for family caregivers and help them handle difficult situations.

The care providers who offer Alzheimer’s care are specially trained to handle anger and frustration and they can help you learn effective ways to handle your senior parent’s anger or frustration. Some of the best things to do when your senior parent with Alzheimer’s is frustrated or angry are:

Focus on Feelings, Not Fact

Usually when a senior with Alzheimer’s becomes angry or frustrated it’s because they are scared or because they don’t understand a certain situation. For example, if your senior loved one is frustrated because they can’t open a door that is locked for their safety they may become angry or belligerent because they don’t know why the door is locked. Instead of trying to explain why the door is locked focus on what they are feeling. You can tell them that you understand they want to go outside and ask why they are feeling stuck or trapped. If they can express whatever they are feeling that could lessen the frustration.

Distract Them

Distracting people with Alzheimer’s isn’t always easy but it’s a great way to immediately stop any anger or frustration before it gets too intense. If you can district them by interesting them in a project, or in reading a book, or getting a snack, they will shift gears and forget that they were angry or upset. You may have to suggest something to them several times to get their focus to shift but distraction is a tried and true way to get seniors with Alzheimer’s to not be frustrated or upset.

Go Along With Them

If your senior loved one is really focused on something and you can’t district them from it then try going along it with for the moment, and then distracting them from it after they have calmed down. For example, if your senior loved one really wants to leave and they are insisting on going out the door you can tell them that it’s ok to leave but they should wear a coat because it’s cold outside so they should come pick out a coat. Then you can distract them while they are picking out a coat so that they don’t want to go outside any longer.

Bargain

Another similar way to manage a senior parent with Alzheimer’s that is frustrated is to bargain with them. When they are angry or frustrated because they want to do something that they shouldn’t do you can agree to the action but only after another action is taken. For example, tell your senior parent who wants to drive the car that they can drive the car after you drive it to make sure it’s safe and working properly. Then you can distract them from that once they calm down.

If you are considering Alzheimer’s care in Oakwood, OH, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Touching Hearts At Home of Dayton today at 937-558-9394.

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