The first thing I tell them is that aggression is usually caused by agitation. And if you can control the agitation, you can control the aggression.
I believe it’s helpful to meet with the Director of Nursing and her team to discuss the situation. If you’re not satisfied with the results, you can contact the long-term care ombudsman program in your state. These are trained volunteers who advocate for nursing home residents, and help in working out solutions.
If you’re confident that staff have done all they can, your loved one should be assessed. Go to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alzs.org) to find a nearby program. What is an assessment? It’s a 24/7 observation…which could possibly result in changes to your loved one’s medication. (It’s possible that the medication could be causing the aggression.)
If a patient’s aggressiveness is not caused by medication, it may be caused by a lack of chemistry between patient and staff.
During the assessment, you can meet with social workers at the facility to see where else your loved one might be placed. It’s possible that a simple change in environment may be beneficial…although it may result in confusion initially.
If my clients are looking for a new home for their loved one, I encourage them to consider one with an Alzheimer’s unit, which is specially built and staffed with this population in mind. Staff at such a facility will be trained to deal with aggressive or agitated patients.
If your loved one has dementia or Alzheimer’s, you’ll have a hundred new questions every day. We can help.
At The Law Offices of Alice Reiter Feld & Associates, we’re Elder Law attorneys…and we’ve spent the past 33 years answering these questions. We’ve helped thousands of South Florida families, with comprehensive estate planning, wills, trusts, powers of attorney, long-term care plans, asset-protection plans, and assistance with Medicaid or the VA.
If you’ve got questions, we’ve got answers. And we’re just a phone call away.
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