Skip to main content

Violent Dementia Patients

I have often written about dealing with dementia patients. They do not react like people whose brains are functioning normally. About 5-10% of dimentia patients exhibit violent behavior. The cause of the violent behavior may not be known and it can come from any number of triggers (or nothing). Dealing with a violent family member can be difficult.  Here are some tips:

1.Back down. If your loved-one gets angry because he doesn’t want to take a shower, drop it and try again later when his mood has improved.

2.Apologize, even if it’s not your fault. This will buy you time and good will.

3.Change the topic. Stay calm and change the subject to something your loved-one usually enjoys.

4.Remember the world is distorted for those with Dementia. They are sensitive to noise and become fatigued easily.  What is going on around them may not make sense as their brain cannot comprehend or remember context.

5.Call for help. For emergencies, call 911. For non-emergencies, call the Alzheimer’s Association’s 24-hour hotline: 1-800-272-3900.

[Derived from other on-line resources.]

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

It's really Spring!

It's clearly Spring around here.  On the way to work this morning I saw several groups of Turkeys.  In each group there was at least one male presenting his tail for the females.  This looks like the classic picture you see of a Turkey around Thanksgiving with his big tail unfurled like a peacock.  But, you won't see that in November, it is courting behavior used in the Spring to find a mate.  Imagine if we humans had some sort of mating system like that.  The males puff themselves up, furl out their tails and strut around waiting for a female to find them attractive ... that would be something  ... oh, wait! Three Turkeys at my Bird Feeder - April 2011 (C) Edward Adamsky, 2011
2 comments
Read more

4 Planning Tips for Parents of Disabled Children

Buy enough life insurance . You can’t be replaced, but someone will have to fill in if you aren’t there. Your family will probably have to pay for some services that you used to provide. You can provide the money necessary, even if you don’t have much now, with life insurance. Set up a trust . Any assets left for a child with special needs, including life insurance proceeds, should be held in trust. Leaving money directly to someone with a special need jeopardizes public benefits. Some families disinherit children with special needs, relying on siblings to care for them. This approach is fraught with potential problems. The best approach is a trust fund set aside for the child with special needs. Write down the care plan . You must write down what a future caregiver will need to know about your special needs child. You may know everything but you need to write it down so it can be passed on. The memo or letter can be kept in the attorney's files or with the parent's estate plan...
2 comments
Read more

Clifton B. Kruse, Jr., Leading Elder Law Attorney, Dies at 74

Clifton B. Kruse , Jr., a revered elder law attorney who was admired as much for his kindness and generosity to fellow practitioners as for his grasp of the law, died December 30, 2008, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He was 74. The cause was complications from Alzheimer's disease. For many in the field, Kruse set the standard for all that an elder law attorney can and should be. One of elder law's founding fathers, he combined a gentlemanly charm, warmth and caring with one of the sharpest and most ethical of legal minds. Wrote Arizona elder law attorney Robert Fleming in a tribute , "In my third of a century of elder law practice I have never met another lawyer who managed to pull together sophistication, heartfelt empathy, intellectual rigor and courtly manner in the same fashion Clifton Kruse projected. He did it, to all appearances, effortlessly. He was a friend and mentor to many in the elder law community (I count myself among those legions)." Kruse was the e...
1 comment
Read more