Dealing with Violent Behavior From Elderly Loved Ones

Aging often triggers emotional reactions and aggressive behavior in many elderly patients. Mental distress, often from Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or other illnesses can trigger these aggressive episodes.

These episodes often include verbal confrontations and threats as well as physical attacks. Family members caring for elderly individuals are often overwhelmed, especially because the situation is personal for them.

Caregivers need to understand elderly aggressive behavior, so they know how to effectively address it. Our blog outlines what triggers elderly people to become aggressive. It also teaches caregivers how to detect early signs of violent behavior, while explaining when professional support or legal assistance becomes necessary.

This is not only about protecting caregivers, but the individuals themselves.

If your loved one was injured by an aggressive nursing home resident, contact our Wisconsin nursing home abuse lawyers today.

What Causes Aggression in the Elderly?

There are many physical conditions and emotional issues that can trigger aggressive behavior. Their environments can also be triggers.

Caregivers should be able to get a better handle on aggressive behavior when they understand what triggers it. This allows caregivers to respond with patience and understanding.

Medical Conditions

Seniors with cognitive decline including Alzheimer’s and dementia typically experience confusion or suspicion. Confusion often triggers hostile behaviors.

Here are common examples of medical issues in seniors that could be linked to aggression:

• Parkinson’s disease – Later stages of the disease can bring hallucinations, delusions, or cognitive decline.
• Infections or sudden illness – A urinary tract infection (UTI) or dehydration can cause confusion and agitation in seniors.
• Chronic pain – Ongoing pain may leave seniors irritable, short-tempered or quick to get angry.

Medication Side Effects

Senior patients who take sedatives, sleep aids or painkillers might develop mood swings, confusion and irritability. The combination of different medications can make violent or aggressive behavior more intense.

Cognitive Decline

Memory loss and cognitive decline causes seniors to misinterpret situations. Sometimes seniors think a caregiver harmed them or stole their possessions, which can result in violence or threats. Fear or distress can cause anyone young or old to lash out.

Emotional Struggles

Depression can morph into anger over time.

• Constant feelings of worry can lead to increased agitation.
• After losing their spouse or friends seniors can become frustrated and develop short temperaments.
• The inability to drive and handle daily activities can cause feelings of humiliation, and seniors may respond to this with anger or violent behavior.

Environmental Triggers

• Changes in daily routine.
• Overstimulation from noise, bright lights, or busy environments.
• Unfamiliar surroundings, such as moving into a nursing home.
• Loneliness and isolation from family or friends.
• Miscommunication with caregivers.

What is Aggressive Behavior and What is Normal Frustration in Seniors?

Expressing anger is not always a problem. Sometimes it is healthy to let anger out, provided it’s done in a constructive way. The difference between aggressive behavior and normal frustration is about frequency and intensity.

A single moment of anger is often temporary frustration. Persistent or escalating aggression often points to a medical or psychological issue.

Caregivers should watch for patterns such as:

• Frequent yelling
• Repeated accusations
• Hitting
• Threats

These behaviors signal that the individual may need professional help.

How Elderly Aggressive Behavior Puts Caregivers and Others at Risk

Aggressive behavior endangers the elderly and the people who care for them. There is an emotional toll for family members who experience constant hostility. This increases stress and can lead to burnout. This takes a heavy toll on personal relationships.

Caregivers may suffer physical injuries when elderly patients hit or push them. These violent individuals also pose a risk to residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. There have been fatal attacks by violent elderly residents, including an incident in Kenosha, Wisconsin back in 2015. One resident fatally stabbed another.

How to Respond to Aggressive Behavior in Seniors

Caregivers must understand that aggressive behavior from elderly family members is not a personal attack. The elderly person may not realize when their behaviors become physically or emotionally violent. Elderly patients may lose control because of an underlying condition like Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

Family members are often the victims of elderly aggressive behavior. Caregivers in the family could benefit from hiring in-home professional caregivers. This gives family members a much-needed break. Having someone there who is not a family member may reduce violent incidents.

The family should have open communication about the aggressive behaviors their elderly members exhibit. Families could also benefit from counseling.

How you respond to aggressive behavior is critical. Responding the right way can be the difference between a reduction in violence or an increase.

Here are some effective ways to manage violent behavior:

• Maintain a relaxed demeanor while avoiding argumentative or loud behaviors.
• Show support to the individual before redirecting the conversation or activity.
• Use calming techniques which include gentle speech and open body gestures. Avoid sudden actions, which could escalate the situation.
• Make the elderly individual’s environment safe by removing sharp objects and other potential weapons. You can also reduce an elderly person’s stress by keeping the environment free from clutter.
• Record all instances of aggressive behavior and provide this to the elderly individual’s doctors and other caregivers.

The most crucial step is to avoid personalizing the aggressive behavior. Seniors who exhibit aggressive behavior may not be conscious that their actions are harmful to others, including loved ones.

When to Seek Professional Help

Sometimes you need help with a violent senior person, especially when:

• The behavior becomes more frequent or intense.
• There could be an untreated medical problem that is causing the change in behavior.
• You are afraid and burned out from being unable to control the aggression.

Professional help with an aggressive elderly person could include:

• Medical evaluation to identify any existing health problems
• Mental health counseling for seniors who experience grief or depression
• In-home caregivers to assist with caregiving responsibilities.
• Law enforcement in severe cases

Preventing Aggression in Older Adults

There are many practical steps caregivers can take to minimize aggressive behavior in senior family members, such as establishing daily patterns. This helps create familiar conditions that can reduce stress.

You need to actively monitor medical problems to help alleviate or prevent pain, infections and medication side effects. Seniors can maintain positive mental health by engaging in social activities, such as visiting friends or taking part in senior programs.

Seniors who feel frustrated can find relief through therapy which may include support groups or individual counseling.

It is vital to maintain peaceful living environments. Keep spaces uncluttered and organized and try to avoid seniors becoming overstimulated.

Protecting Seniors in Residential Care

Aggressiveness and violence present a significant danger within nursing homes and assisted living facilities. When a resident lashes out, both staff and other residents may be placed at risk. Unlike in family caregiving situations, these facilities are legally responsible for taking proactive steps to keep everyone safe.

The Duty of Care in Nursing Homes

Nursing homes and assisted living facilities have a duty of care to all residents. This means they must:

• Provide adequate supervision for individuals with a history of aggression.
• Train staff in de-escalation techniques and proper handling of violent situations.
• Develop individualized care plans for residents known to be aggressive, including medication reviews and behavioral interventions.
• Ensure that aggressive residents are not placed in situations where they could harm vulnerable individuals, such as those with severe physical or cognitive impairments.

When these steps are ignored, aggressive elderly behavior can quickly escalate, leading to injuries, hospitalizations, or even wrongful death.

Families who believe staff members did not protect their loved ones from an aggressive resident may have legal recourse.

Legal Options if Aggression Leads to Harm

Families should take immediate action to obtain professional or legal help when their loved ones are injured by violent long-term care residents. With proper assistance, caregivers can learn to manage challenging behaviors while providing their loved ones with proper care and respect.

If your loved one was injured by an aggressive elderly person at a nursing home, you may be able to seek compensation for damages. Taking legal action also provides the opportunity to hold the facility and staff accountable for the incident

At the law offices of PKSD, we are committed to protecting your elderly loved ones from negligent care while upholding their rights. If violence has injured your loved one in a nursing home, an injury lawyer can help.

Contact us at 414-333-3333 for a free case evaluation.