Outbursts From Dementia Sufferers

We frequently see families caring for a loved one that is suffering from dementia and struggling with outbursts of anger. This is particularly true of those who are in the more advanced stages. Knowing what triggered the behavior, and how to react in the moment of a verbal outburst can help you cope. Finding the trigger to the outburst is not always easy. Remember that someone with advanced stages of dementia may be unable to recognize or communicate their needs easily. Also, they may have difficulty understanding what behavior is acceptable.

Most often the cause of the outburst will fall into one of three categories:
1. Physical:  Issues such as discomfort, pain, illness, improper medication or difficulty hearing. Consult with a physician and ask if they can help determine which of these may be ruled out.
2. Social:  Unfamiliar surroundings, boredom, loneliness, crowds, or embarrassment from having someone repeatedly pointing out they you have already answered a question.  Though not all of these scenarios can be controlled, if you understand the issue you can address the behavior in a more knowledgeable way.
3. Psychological: Challenges such as memory loss, fear, anxiety, or losing touch with reality.  All of these can lead to misunderstandings, misconceptions and difficulty communicating. Again, knowing the cause can help you take command and alleviate the problem.

What should you do when your loved one has an outburst? First, take a deep breath and remain calm. Raising one's voice or arguing will only elevate the situation.  Always reply in a calm, reassuring voice, maintain eye contact, and do not show any anger or alarm. Acknowledging the sufferer's feelings will tend to diffuse any anger they may be feeling. Finally, redirection to something that the dementia sufferer enjoys is very effective.  Things like music, laundry folding, watering plants, games, or any activity that makes them feel productive and happy will tend to move their disposition towards a more upbeat mood.

Bringing useful news to educate our clients is one more way that Home Helpers has been making life easier for over a decade.  Call us today at 704-909-7958.  And as always, you can find us on our website,  Facebook and Google+!

New Scam Circulating

Our office has seen several instances of a new telephone scam that has surfaced recently.  Here's how it works...

A caller indicates that they are with a large sweepstakes company (IE: Publishers Clearing House, Readers Digest, etc.) and that you have won the grand prize.  They typically continue to describe the amount of money won, and ask questions about how you would like to recieve your winnings.  In addition, the caller may ask that you provide some personal information to prove who you are and to verify that you are indeed the winner.  Once the information is provided, a discussion will commence on the tax burden which is associated with your prize.  At this point, the caller offers methods of how you can pay the taxes so that the winnings can be delivered.  In one case we know of, the caller managed to get someone to pay over $40,000 "for taxes" up front.  Once the payment has been made, the victim never hears from the caller again.

Scammers have become very good with their presentations, and may even offer a website that can be visited to verify their validity.  The website is of course bogus.  The bottom line is, you should never pay money or give personal information to a stranger that calls.  No matter how convincing or knowledgeable the call sounds, requests for money prior to receiving a prize or service is a scam!

Bringing useful news to educate our clients is one more way that Home Helpers has been making life easier for over a decade.  Call us today at 704-909-7958.  And as always, you can find us on our website,  Facebook and Google+!