Alzheimer’s and dementia can cause aggressive behavior, even in people who have never been violent in their lives. These aggressive dementia behaviors can be scary and difficult for caregivers to handle. It’s important to remind yourself that they’re not behaving this way on purpose or to be hurtful. The brain damage caused by dementia is the reason behind these actions. There’s no solution that can prevent all angry outbursts, but there are effective ways to minimize upset, reduce your stress, and increase the safety of everyone involved.Sometimes, but not always, there are indications that an aggressive outburst is approaching. Minor outbursts, heightened confusion, agitation, anger, and frustration could be signs that things aren’t quite right. Often, since you know them so well you might have a feeling that something is “off” with them.When you sense that a storm could be approaching, try heading it off by switching to a soothing activity they enjoy, calming the environment, giving them a snack or drink they love, or providing some extra comfort and support. It’s also possible that an aggressive episode could come out of the blue, so don’t always count on having a warning.To minimize unexpected and stressful events, create and stick to a regular daily routine for your loved one. With dementia, they are losing control over their cognitive and physical abilities along with their independence. That means their lives are filled with more and more unknowns.For someone with dementia, a calm and relaxing environment helps minimize confusion and agitation. It also helps them feel calm and able to concentrate on essential daily tasks. When the environment is distracting or makes it difficult to complete basic tasks, it increases your loved ones frustration and agitation. That can trigger or contribute to an angry outburst.Often, the nonverbal messages we send with our body language and facial expressions come through more clearly than the words we speak. Using body language and facial expressions that help your loved one clearly and easily understand your meaning can reduce confusion, agitation, and anger as well as increase cooperation with essential tasks. In some cases, the best thing to do is remove yourself from an aggressive situation and wait until your loved one calms down or forgets that they’re upset.
