Elderly people can often act like a completely different person, making it difficult for us to live with and care for.
What makes the elderly become so changeable?
According to geriatric experts, there are four main causes of problems in the elderly.
Illustration: YesMagazine.
Diseases: Many diseases of old age lead to difficulties in memory and cognitive function. This leads to behavioral changes in the elderly, especially when the condition is advanced.
Side effects of medical conditions: Some people lose their language abilities after a stroke. This makes them difficult to communicate, unable to express their needs such as hunger, thirst, pain, leading to frustration, anger…
Stress from daily life: Less income and higher medical costs can be a problem for the elderly. In addition, this negative emotion can also appear when the elderly feel lonely and fear functional decline.
Coping with grief and loss: The loss of a loved one or friend can lead to depression in the elderly, if they are not comforted in time.
Differentiated behaviors of the elderly and coping solutions.
Aggressive behaviors
The elderly suddenly become irritable and may make harsh insults or curses. This is a shock to the loved one responsible for their care. If left unchecked, the elderly will abuse their caregivers.
How to deal.
It is advisable to find out whether the cause behind the aggressive behavior is illness, physical or emotional pain. If it is due to illness, it is necessary to seek treatment promptly. With mental problems, it is necessary to listen, soothe, and understand.
In addition, you need to set ground rules with the elderly. Let them know you are taking care of them and will not tolerate such abuse. You can help them see how harmful their behavior is by telling them how a loved one or partner would feel hearing the harsh words. Some old people only get angry with certain objects, for example daughter-in-law/daughter… In this case, you can hire a maid to assist.
You can also use distraction, which is to try to divert the attention of the elderly from the negative emotions they are having.
Attention-grabbing behaviors
Attention-seeking behavior includes whining, sulking, asking caregivers or loved ones to be constantly in sight, not to do anything other than take care of them. In this case, while still able to do things on their own, the elderly person is still completely dependent on the caregiver for all of their physical and emotional needs.
How to deal.
In this case, you need to set specific boundaries with the elderly. Should explain to them, you also have your own life and need to earn money to take care of your family and children. It is advisable to let them interact more with others by taking them to senior centers, book clubs… so that they integrate into the community more and reduce their dependence on you. You should also consider hiring an in-home caregiver to assist, if needed.
Paranoid and delusional behaviors
Mental health problems in the elderly can cause them to experience delusions and hallucinations about ongoing problems in their lives. They may accuse someone of theft or abuse even though it never happened. They may also see things that are not real or believe that someone is harming them.
How to deal.
Hallucinations and delusions can be a sign of physical or mental problems. Talk to your doctor for advice, because it could be a side effect of medication or dementia.
In addition, you should not loudly deny what the elderly say. Pretend to acknowledge what they’re seeing, and reassure them that they’re safe and you’re there to help. Do not try to convince them that what they are seeing is not real, as this can lead to more suspicion and fear.
Problems with food and sleep
Many elderly people refuse to shower, eat and then say no, refuse to go to bed at night… “Sundown syndrome” – a syndrome that occurs in the elderly, usually in the afternoon, causing them to confuse, agitation, restlessness.
How to deal.
To solve this problem, you should keep the sleep routine and schedule for the elderly stable. Give them a good sleeping environment, so that they have a good night’s sleep. Let them live, eat, bathe in moderation, on time so that they become a habit. Don’t grumble when they don’t take a shower, it can backfire.
Money problems
Some seniors turn to one of two extremes: overspending or oversaving. They can easily believe in secret words, give money to strangers, get scammed… On the contrary, they can be extremely stingy, not even giving a dime to anyone.
How to deal.
You can ask a third party to mediate, listen to the elderly and give objective advice. You can also print out documents, “black and white paper” documents as proof, showing how the money is being spent.
For some elderly people, improper money management can be one of the signs of dementia.
Store
Many elderly people, when they discover that they are “close to the earth and far from heaven”, will tend to pick up and hoard items they consider useful. This causes discomfort for family members, due to unsanitary or unsafe living conditions.
In this case, you can buy them a box/cabinet/box, which is a place to store things, help them save something special to them.
Thuy Linh (According to Homage)
at Blogtuan.info – Source: vnexpress.net – Read the original article here
