Tips For Coping With Challenging Behavior in Alzheimer's Disease Patients: Alzheimer's Disease and Challenging Behaviors

Challenging behaviors in Alzheimer’s patients can leave medical and health care professionals, as well as family members or friends of these patients, concerned, confused or confounded. Thus, challenging behaviors prove to be a major obstacle to overcome for those caring for Alzheimer’s 

patients.

Alzheimer’s disease is complex and not easy to understand.

The article entitled, “10 Early Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer's” may prove helpful to those confronted by challenging behaviors in a family member or friend.

Consider the following tips for coping with challenging behaviors in Alzheimer’s patients.

Expect the unexpected:

Depending upon the various stages of the disease process, Alzheimer’s patients may begin to behave differently. In other words, their behavior is subject to change as the disease progresses. Sometimes changes are subtle, while at other times the transition is more obvious, sudden and radical. Behaviors can vary depending upon where the Alzheimer’s patients are at mentally and emotionally, at any moment in time, as well as who is present with them.

For example, Maria, a young woman visits her father, who is in the hospital undergoing diagnostic tests for Alzheimer’s disease. He recognizes his only daughter and welcomes her warmly. He seems rational and his behavior appears normal, so they have a pleasant visit.

Her brother Todd, who has been out of town, visits him two weeks later. The doctor immediately advises Todd that his father has been behaving like a different person, one who appears confused, angry and upset, all of the time. The doctor observes the patient’s behavior when Todd tries to visit with him.

“Get that man out of here now!” Todd’s father yells at the doctor. “I don’t want anything to do with Clay.”  

“I see where the problem is, Doctor,” explains Todd. “My father does not recognize me as his oldest son. Clay is his older brother who passed away ten years ago. I don’t think they ever got along very well.”       

Non-recognition of family members and friends is an important diagnostic symptom in Alzheimer’s disease, particularly when it involves previous generations, where there may have been emotional confrontations, conflict or other issues.

Be aware of ongoing safety concerns:

The safety of Alzheimer’s disease patients and others is always a major concern because there is progressive deterioration of mental faculties. There may be unpredictable, radical behavior that seems to be a slow process in terms of behavioral change, but it may happen unexpectedly, as well.  

For example, Alzheimer’s patients tend to wander, often getting lost. This is indicative of disoriented patients attempting to return to the past or relive it again. This time of their lives is prominent in their minds. Initially, wandering may be only occasional, but it may suddenly become a challenging behavior with which caregivers have to contend.         

The article, “Wrist, ankle bands can help track Alzheimer’s patients” suggests,

“The devices include a small band that people can wear on their ankle or wrist. It has a computer chip, a scanner frequency and a number for patient tracking. The devices work in an eight-mile radius from the air and one mile from the ground…”

Alzheimer’s disease patients may attempt to take other patient’s possessions, clothing and medication, resulting in direct confrontation or other patient safety issues. The accurate documentation of gradual or sudden changes in behavior like this, is important in terms of obtaining an accurate diagnosis for Alzheimer’s disease, which can occur in conjunction with dementia.

Concern, care and compassion:

Whatever stage of Alzheimer’s disease patients are experiencing, expressions of concern, care and compassion are important regardless of challenging behavior patterns that emerge. Alzheimer’s patients often respond positively to loving care, but will respond negatively if they sense conflict or confrontation. Fear related to paranoia may cause them to argue or fight with others including their family members, friends and caregivers. Potential violence is always a possibility.

There are often no easy answers with respect to relating to Alzheimer’s patients, as they enter into the later stages of the disease process. Being there for them may prove beneficial, but it may not be easy either and thus, as there may be a sense of helplessness and hopelessness for everyone.

Patience on the part of family members, friends and caregivers is vital.