Health & Wellness

Alzheimer's Caregiver Guide

Managing Challenging Behaviors in People With Alzheimer's

Coping with changes in your loved one's behavior is one of the most challenging aspects of care giving. A person with Alzheimer's disease may overreact to minor stressors. At times these behaviors may be unpredictable and include anger and aggression. The following tips can help to reduce undesirable behavior:

Simplify the environment. Avoid clutter.
Identify situations, sounds or patterns that cause aggression and avoid them when possible.
Decrease the number of items placed in front of your loved one during an activity or at mealtime.
Avoid confusion and hurry.
Avoid overstimulation.
Be alert for a possible illness or pain that may be causing the behavior.

What to do if your loved one becomes aggressive

If your loved one becomes aggressive, remember that it is the disease—not the person—causing the behavior.
Avoid confrontation.
Be positive and reassuring, and speak with a quiet, soothing voice.
If your loved one becomes physically aggressive, back away. It may help to say something such as, "Please don't hurt me."
Avoid restraining your loved one, such as holding his hands or arms, but do what you must to be safe.
If aggression becomes a concern, remove heavy or sharp objects from the environment and keep them out of sight.

Source: Mayo Clinic on Alzheimer's disease, Petersen, Ronald (Ed.), 2002.

How to handle indifference or depression

A commonly reported behavior among Alzheimer's patients is apathy, or a lack of motivation. Your loved one may sit for long periods of time staring blankly. Depression is also a common condition associated with Alzheimer's disease. In addition to apathy, depression may involve anger, irritability, frequent crying spells and changes in appetite and sleep patterns.

Engage your loved one in his favorite activities.
Reminisce about past events that your loved one is more likely to remember.
Play music with a strong tempo, and encourage your loved one to clap or stomp his feet.
Acknowledge your loved one's feelings. Realize that he may be feeling grief over physical and mental losses due to Alzheimer's or grieving over deceased loved ones.
Use simple humor, such as a book of jokes or old TV comedies to lighten things up for both you and your loved one.
Talk to your doctor if your loved one is showing signs of depression.
Consider an elder care program that engages your loved one in appropriate activities.

Source: Mayo Clinic on Alzheimer's disease, Petersen, Ronald (Ed.), 2002.