Senior Care in Johns Creek GA
When a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, you and your other family members may not be sure what to expect and that can make everything a little scarier. Researching and understanding the behaviors your loved one might exhibit can help.
Sudden Aggression or Anger
Your loved one may become angry or even aggressive over a small situation or issue. Worse still, she might become angry or aggressive for seemingly no reason at all. While this can sometimes be an indication of frustration, the truth is that you may not always know what has upset your loved one.
Anxiety or Agitation in New Situations
New situations or situations that are confusing for your loved one may present a huge source of anxiety for her, so you may see agitation. It can help to let your loved one know what to expect in new situations and to try to limit those new situations in favor of an established routine.
Hallucinations or Delusions
Some elderly loved ones may begin to hallucinate or experience delusions. Both can be disturbing for family caregivers because they involve your loved one seeing, hearing, or believing things that are not there or are not real. Occasionally this can be helped with medication, but it's important to let your loved one's doctor know if she's hallucinating or experiencing delusions.
Repetition
Repetition of words and actions can start out in the earlier stages of Alzheimer's disease and become more frequent as the disease progresses. Your loved one may find repetition soothing, making it more appealing to her as time goes on. Repetition can also be your loved one's method of trying to communicate something to you that you're not understanding.
Wandering
Your loved one may wander for a variety of reasons. One common reason is that she becomes stuck in a memory from the past and is trying to get to someone or to a location, so she leaves her current location. Another reason that loved ones with Alzheimer's disease may wander can involve restlessness and agitation. For some people, mild exercise helps, but others may need a change in medication.
Your loved one's doctors and senior care providers can help you to spot these and other behaviors as the disease progresses.
