Five Possible Causes of Outbursts if Your Senior Has Dementia

With dementia, you might find that your senior starts exhibiting behaviors that shock, stun, and even embarrass you. One of those might be loud outbursts, usually, that involves crying and screaming. Dementia changes how her brain operates, making it difficult to know why she’s responding the way she is.

She’s Afraid

If your elderly family member is afraid, whether that fear is a reasonable one or not, she might respond by screaming and crying. This can be scary for the people around her as well, especially if the fear is one that is not obvious to anyone else. Staying as calm as possible can help to reassure your aging family member that there’s nothing to fear.

She’s Overwhelmed or Overstimulated

In situations where there’s a lot going on, it’s very easy for your senior to become overwhelmed and overstimulated. This can happen easily in crowds, where the situation is likely to be loud and extremely busy. It can also happen in your senior’s home if she’s experiencing just too much all at once.

She’s in Pain

Your senior doesn’t respond to pain the same way that she did in the past. She also can’t explain pain to you in the same way that she might have in the past. As a result, she may only feel that she has one way to express how she’s feeling and that’s through an outburst that is likely to be startling for you and for anyone else who is in the same room.

She’s Confused or Sad

It’s also easy with dementia for your senior to become confused. If she doesn’t understand what’s happening around her, she might respond in an unpredictable way. Sadness can cause her to respond in a similar way.

She’s Bored

Under stimulation can be just as much a problem for your elderly family member as over-stimulation can be. If she doesn’t have enough to keep her occupied and she has excess energy built up, she might respond in ways that you find confusing. This is something you might be able to help with by scheduling her day with activities she enjoys.

It’s difficult to understand some of these causes as a caregiver and that can interfere with your ability to help your senior as much as you’d like. Having help from experienced elderly care providers makes it so much easier to be sure that you’re giving your senior what she needs when she needs it.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Homecare in Los Gatos, CA, contact the friendly staff at Home Care Professionals today.
Call (866)-940-4855

Andy Howard CEO at HomeCare Professionals

Andy Howard is a Bay Area Native who holds a BA in Political Science (University of Colorado at Boulder, ’97). After college Andy worked in the surging tech industry. His Grandmother however, would suffer a significant decline in health and ultimately needed in-home care. The experience of a loved one depending on outside help to age in place proved to be pivotal for Andy as he left the tech industry in 2002 for an opportunity in the home care world with a large provider. After having success in home care, but being frustrated by corporate constraints Andy founded HomeCare Professionals in 2005. He methodically built the company one client at a time by focusing on hiring quality caregivers to ensure positive outcomes. Currently Andy serves as the CEO of HomeCare Professionals and is also highly active in the non-profit organization California Association of Health Services at Home (CAHSAH) which advocates for a higher standard of in-home care for those who wish to remain living at home in California.

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