Does Your Loved One Have a Behavioral Problem or Alzheimer's Disease?

If your elderly loved one forgets conversations very easily, attacks you physically or argues with you constantly, you may think that they have a severe behavioral problem. You may be wrong. Sometimes, elderly people exhibit strange or frustrating behavior because they have Alzheimer's disease. If you're unfamiliar with Alzheimer's disease, you may not know that your loved one needs specialized memory care and treatment. Here are things to know about Alzheimer's disease and what you can do to help your loved one cope with it.

Why Is Your Loved One So Angry and Forgetful?

Although a number of older adults experience lapses in memory, they eventually recall events a short time later. But if your loved one has Alzheimer's disease or the beginning stages of it, they won't recall their conversations with you at all.

Your parent or grandparent may even argue that they never say the things you mention to them, even when you clearly hear them do so. If you don't back off from the argument, your loved one may become agitated or violent.

At this stage, it's critical that you seek medical help and memory care treatment for your loved one. If you don't, your family member's symptoms will become worse.

How Can You Help Your Loved One?

One of things you can do for your loved one is ask a memory care specialist to examine them. A memory care specialist will ask you questions about your loved one that indicate the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

For example, the specialist may want to know if your loved one

  • becomes verbally angry and upset when you attempt to correct them after conversations.
  • lashes out physically by hitting, biting or striking you.
  • experiences depression or some other mood disorder for no apparent reason.
  • puts their keys, purse, wallet, or some other personal item in strange places, such as in the refrigerator or inside socks.

The signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease increase as the condition progresses. You should keep notes of every time your parent or grandparent exhibits the signs and symptoms.

Their doctor and memory care specialist can use the notes to develop a care plan for your loved one, as well as prescribe medications that help control the behavioral problems caused by Alzheimer's disease.

If you have concerns about your loved one's strange behavior, memory lapses, or other symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, speak to a memory care specialist or doctor today, such as one from Gateway Living.

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