Four Reasons Your Senior Might Be Agitated

Agitation is a common reaction from seniors with dementia. Its often a response to anxiety or to frustration, but that doesnt make the agitation easier for you to deal with as a caregiver. There are some basic reasons that could be behind your seniors agitation, if you know what to watch for in her behavior and in whats going on around her.

Changes to Routines

Routines are comforting to a senior with dementia, which is why theyre so helpful. But when changes to those routines are suddenly thrust upon your senior, she is the opposite of comforted. These changes can be physically and emotionally painful for your elderly family member, which can cause her to act out and have a very emotional reaction.

Being Exhausted

Basic needs are a huge issue for people with dementia, especially if they cant communicate as well as they used to. One of the basic needs that can very easily contribute to agitation is being exhausted or even just a little more tired than usual. If youve ever been overly tired yourself, you might have a little bit of an idea how this feels for your senior. Only she has less ability to regulate her emotions and her responses.

People, Noises, and Other Distractions

Overstimulation can be a really big irritant for people with dementia. Loud noises, too many people, and anything that distracts from what theyre doing can create too much stimulation. Sometimes these experiences can be okay for short periods of time, but prolonged exposure to these stimulants can create a situation that leaves your senior feeling agitated and upset.

Issues She Cant Communicate to You

At some point, your elderly family member may start to have great difficulty communicating even the simplest needs and requests to you. This can be incredibly frustrating for both of you and since your senior may not have a way to express that frustration, its going to manifest as agitation. Little things like basic needs or a misunderstanding of a normal activity can all be at play here.

Avoiding agitation can rely quite a bit on you understanding your seniors triggers and what she needs. This isnt easy to do, especially when youre so busy trying to hit all the moving targets. Elder care providers can help you with this. Theyve got experience with helping seniors with dementia and they can help you to put together a system that works.