Alzheimer's disease: how to manage aggression?

Aggression is a common behavior in people with Alzheimer's disease. The environment is often shaken.

What should you know about this mode of aggressive speech?

How to handle the situation?

Why Alzheimer's patients have aggressive behavior?
Aggressiveness is a survival instinct manifested by verbal abuse or gestures directed against something, someone or a misunderstood situation and serves to mark its existence. In other words, aggressive behavior in Alzheimer's patients is not pathological, it's not really a symptom of the disease, but a means of expression and action used to interact with its environment and control relationships . Aggressiveness is not intended to trigger a conflict. It's a way to express his doubts and dissatisfaction. It is also sometimes means implemented to seek stimulation, a feeling of excitement, thrills.

Verbal outbursts or physical assault
Between 75 and 88% of Alzheimer's patients have behavioral and emotional disturbances. In 30-50% of cases, they are manifested by aggression, verbal excesses ranging from physical attack (bite, spit, shots).

Fears, anxieties, difficulty in communication.
Fear of the Offering, the fear of death, inability to verbally communicate feelings and needs, may predispose to aggressive behavior.
Recall that Alzheimer's disease is an intolerable self-image and gradually reached leads to addiction.

6 tips to manage the aggressiveness of a loved one with Alzheimer's disease
Face any aggression, we must try to understand it, without accepting it.

1 Never respond to aggression with aggression
Respond with violence leads to a power relationship with the patient and a situation that will quickly degrade.

2 Bring the aggressive person in a remote location
Sit with her ​​at his side, or leave her alone for a moment.

3 show Him that we have seen aggression
We must not ignore the aggression manifested risk of strengthening it.

4 Adopt an attitude of listening and caring neutral
Smile and stay calm as much as possible.

5 Identify our own tolerance
This will then implement strategies when this threshold is exceeded: ask for help, go over, talk about it.

6 Take the distance
Understand and feel that you are not personally attacked.