Your parents have had to deal with your tantrums as a teenager, and now the tide has turned. If you observe that your aging loved one is triggered by almost everything, you must learn to exercise patience whenever these outbursts occur, especially if your loved one has been diagnosed with a mental condition.
Some tantrums can be managed by having a simple discussion with your loved one about it because communication is key in any relationship. Avoid conditions or an environment that puts your loved ones under stress and makes them confused. Below are ways which an assisted living community in Grand Prairie, TX.
Avoid Engaging Immediately
It only makes it worse when you try to respond to your aging loved ones’ demands with what you think is right. You can take a walk or leave the room for a few minutes. Chances are you took offense to some things you heard. When the tension is down and things are calmer you can have a discussion about what they want and why you can’t have it their way.
Team members in an assisted living community are trained to handle any anger tantrums thrown by aging adults. This enables them to care for your loved one without arguments or getting overwhelmed.
Scheduling an Appointment With a Doctor
It may be unsettling to watch your loved one have a temper tantrum for the first time as this attitude is mostly common to kids and teenagers. It is important to seek professional help, to be able to address the problem efficiently.
You also need to find out if their behavior is caused by a worsening health condition like dementia. Many assisted living communities offer memory care services for aging adults living with dementia. Living in a community like this simply means your loved one will get all the medical attention they need to handle the progression of their cognitive impairment while living healthily through retirement.
Setting Firm Restrictions/Boundaries
When they are calm, they should be informed that they are not allowed to throw objects around or at you. Also, inform them of the use of certain languages that would not be tolerated. Let them know that their demands would not be granted with such an attitude.
It is important to watch your tone so you don’t come off as mean. If you are unyielding in your boundaries, they would realize that you are serious and would avoid throwing tantrums. You should also let them know how much you love them when they are calm.
Identifying the Cause of the Temper Tantrums
Temper tantrums would continue to happen if you do not carefully observe what triggers them. Understanding what causes the outburst is a big step in stopping the recurrence. A wrong approach would be trying to talk them down without understanding what they are upbeat about. Identifying what causes it, could help prevent the tantrum from happening again. Some temper tantrums are a result of a recent diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.
