May 2022
Dear Caregivers,
 
Raise your hand if you have ever had a bad day and just wanted to scream and bang your fists into something. I am betting that most of us reading this are raising their hands.

It is important as caregivers to understand that older adults with dementia are experiencing their own realities. In order to appease a person who has agitation and anxiety, caregivers need to tap into this reality and embrace it. 

Older adults with dementia will likely experience agitation and aggression at different points in their disease process. These behaviors are triggered by many factors including a change in environment, an illness or simply a bad day. 

Below are some tips on how to prevent or reduce agitation:
  • Create a calm environment. Remove stressors.
  • Avoid environmental triggers. Noise, glare and background distraction (such as television) can act as triggers.
  • Monitor personal comfort. Are they warm, cold, ill? Do they have to go to the bathroom, are they hungry or thirsty?
  • Simplify tasks and routines.
  • Provide an opportunity for exercise. Gardening, walking, chair exercises are all ways to get some exercise and doing it outdoors when weather permits is even better!
For more information on agitation and anxiety check
at the Alzheimer’s Association’s website:
 

Take a few minutes to watch this video which demonstrates how to help the older adult when dementia and agitation sets in. 

Remember the importance of taking care of your self. You cannot stop the impact of dementia on someone for whom you care. But there is a great deal that you can do to take responsibility for your personal well-being and to get your own needs met.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Calvert County Office on Aging
Lisa Caudle, Long Term Care Manager
450 West Dares Beach Road
Prince Frederick, MD 20678
410-535-4606, ext. 129
www.calvertcountymd.gov