One of the most difficult side effects of Alzheimer’s disease is the potential for combativeness by the senior suffering from it. In fact, this can be one of the toughest parts of the disease that family caregivers have to deal with. It can be very scary and you may not know what to do about it. If your elderly loved one is getting physical, hopefully, this guide will let you know that should be done.  

Stay as Calm as Possible 

The first and most important thing that you should do if your elderly loved one is getting physical is to stay as calm as possible. The calmer you are, the less likely they are to get even more aggressive. Yelling or fighting back will only escalate the situation. When staying calm, you can also think of ways to get yourself out of the situation. Once you get out of the situation, you can take further actions to prevent this from happening again.  

Determine the Cause 

The next thing you need to do is to determine the cause of your elderly loved one’s behavior. With Alzheimer’s disease, there are so many things that can cause these outbursts. Is your elderly loved one hungry or thirsty? Are they too cold or too hot? Do they need to go to the bathroom? By figuring out what is causing the outburst, you can help end it quickly. In addition, if you can recognize the signs that your elderly loved one is about to get physical, you can stop it from happening in the first place by knowing what the cause is.  

Distraction Might Help 

In many cases, distraction can help someone with Alzheimer’s disease to stop being physical. The reason this works is that usually the cause is related to something that the person needs. For instance, your elderly loved one might be getting physical because they are bored. If this is the case, distracting them by offering a snack, for instance, can fill that need. This can help to completely stop your elderly loved one’s behavior or at least stop it for now.  

Hiring Senior Care Providers 

If the physical outbursts by your elderly loved one are too much to handle, you can always hire senior care providers. Even if you think you can handle these outbursts, you shouldn’t have to figure it out on your own. Senior care providers can offer advice and help provide care for your loved one.  

Conclusion 

These are some of the things that you should do if your elderly loved one is having physical outbursts. It is important to remember, that with Alzheimer’s disease, these outbursts are nothing personal. They are usually the result of your elderly loved one needing something and not being able to communicate what they need.  

 If you or an aging loved-one are considering Senior Care in Winston-Salem, NC please contact the caring staff at Affordable Family Care. Serving Raleigh, Greensboro, and the surrounding areas in North Carolina. Call today 919-676-1070.

Sources 

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/coping-agitation-and-aggression-alzheimers-disease

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Donnie Shelton

Owner at Affordable Family Care Services, Inc.

Donnie graduated from Elon University in 1987 with a B.S. in Business Administration and Marketing. He has worked in a variety of medical fields including a hospital equipment company, a medical equipment company, and home care. He opened Affordable Family Care Services in 2006 and it has grown to include upwards of 125 caregivers and many award-winning programs. Donnie, his wife Lesley, and their son Spencer live in the Raleigh area.Donnie is an avid golfer and fisherman.

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