Dementia Care

Guide On Symptoms Management

Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia

Agitation and aggression

Examples of aggressive behavior:
Persons with dementia can be agitated or show signs of aggressiveness as the disease progresses.
  • Verbally – swearing, shouting or threatening
  • Physically – hitting, punching, scratching or biting.
These episodes are often caused by confusion and distress. These situations could be hard to handle sometimes but understanding that the person with signs of agitation or aggression is not acting this way on purpose can help.

Care tips

  • Try to identify the cause
Agitation and aggression can be caused by:
Physical discomforts Environmental factors Poor communication
  • Lack of rest or sleep
  • Hunger or thirst
  • Medication side effects
  • Physical pain
  • Infections (eg.urinary tract)
  • Loud, crowded places
  • Messy surroundings
  • Not familiar with the environment
  • Unclear and complicated instructions
  • Caregiver showing signs of stress or irritability
  • Provided with too many information at once
  • Focus on their feelings
Choose to focus on their emotions and not on specific details.
  • Don’t get upset
When a person with dementia is aggressive, stay calm, and do not argue. Speak slowly in a soft tone. Arguing with them might make them more upset and may even escalate the aggression.
  • Find a way to divert their attention
Try switching to something different as the current activity may have unintentionally caused the aggression and agitation.
  • Safety first
Make sure both you and the person with dementia are safe. If you feel at risk, leave the area and keep dangerous objects (such as blades) away from them. When the person is unable to calm down, seek help from others or call 999 in emergency situations.
To care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honors
– Tia Walker –

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