How to Deal with Senior Negativity and Complaints for Caregivers
January 28, 2019Guest blog by Matt Boyle
Sometimes, working hard to improve the quality of your senior’s life can be underappreciated. Maybe they complain or act annoyed when you make a mistake, despite the fact that you have dedicated so much time and effort to helping them throughout their day. There are a number of potential causes for why a senior could be acting ungrateful, treating your poorly, or constantly complaining.
For many seniors, constantly complaining may just be a permanent facet of daily life. If they have always been the bickering type, then it may be the only way that they know how to communicate.. They may not even be aware that their negative attitude is coming across that way all the time. While these behaviors are not acceptable, it is not likely that you will be able to change the way a person is this late in life. In fact, the physical and mental frustrations that come with aging are likely to only intensify a person’s already negative disposition to everything. This is important to take into account if you are the primary caregiver for a cranky senior.
Why Seniors May Be Negative
In contrast, some seniors may have a negative mindset or constantly complain due to circumstances and events. For example, if your father was always peaceful and easy, but now they are controlling and angry, there could be cause for concern. Sudden changes in temperament could be the result of sudden illness, injuries, or other age related changes. Fortunately, personality changes are not guaranteed to be permanent and there steps that can be taken to help remedy the situation.
Infections
A UTI, or Urinary Tract Infection, can have a sudden and serious impact on a senior’s demeanor. Most people are aware that there are physical symptoms associated with UTIs such as burning, pain, and urinary urges, but there are also plenty of behavioral side effects too. Behavioral symptoms such as irritability and confusion may be the result of an untreated UTI. If your senior is displaying erratic and unwarranted anger or confusion, they may be dealing with an untreated UTI.
Medications
Some prescription medications can have serious side effects on someone’s personality. Psychiatric drugs are one such case. While these drugs are intended to alter a person’s brain chemistry for the better, but the way they work is complicated. Certain types of drugs may not work the same way that they do for others. In some cases, medication may actually cause someone’s condition to worsen.
If the wrong medication is taken and causes someone’s condition to worsen, do not just assume that the situation will improve on its own. Some drugs may take several weeks in order to start achieving the desired effect, whether that be positive or negative. You should take an active role in monitoring your seniors condition when they start taking a new medication and relaying any alarming changes to your senior’s medical provider. Personality changes can also arise from medications such as anti-seizure medications, blood pressure medications, and even anti-inflammatories. Drug interactions should always be monitored and reported.
Pain
Pain can make anyone a little irritated. Seniors who have become irascible may want to complete a check up with their primary care physician in order to ensure they are not afflicted with a major injury or illness. While some seniors may wish to be less of a burden and not go to the doctor’s office, the irony is that they may wind up still griping and complaining all day, becoming a huge burden. Joint pain is one common source of discomfort for many seniors and other individuals. Indications of joint pain include changes in gait (i.e. limping, moving slowly, and shuffling instead of walking) problems with balancing and constantly rubbing or nursing a joint.
Boredom
Boredom is a valid source of discomfort and angst. Especially if you have lived a full life of working and raising a family, only to eventually be confined and limited in your ability to do anything. Many seniors could be negative and pessimistic because they do not feel fulfilled anymore. Age related complications such as limited mobility, reduced energy, and poor eyesight could affect their daily life more than you know.
Possible Dementia
Cognitive decline and losses in function are a classic symptom that many people associate with dementia. However, these symptoms may first be preceded by personality changes that only get noticed by close friends and family members. They may have trouble remembering events, places, people, and commitments and become frustrated by their inability to recall important details. This could translate to lashing out and frequent irritability. If you suspect that your senior’s behavior may be due to dementia, it’s important for you to sign them up for a full physical and neurological evaluation.
What Caregivers Can Do
In most of the examples mentioned above, medical care can be the solution to helping your senior overcome crankiness or pain. However, if dementia is the primary factor then you may need to seek new medications that help minimize the behavioral and personality changes that accompany this disease. For many seniors, anti-anxiety medications and antipsychotics can make a significant improvement, but many approaches should be considered by your senior’s primary care physician. Sometimes, with counseling and assistance from family members, seniors can learn effective techniques for managing their crankiness.
In Conclusion
In some instances, it may be a better option for senior caregivers to simply assume a more hands-off role when it comes to caring for their senior. Allowing another family member or professional caregiver to take over certain aspects of daily care can be a hugely beneficial to your mental and physical health.
Living with diseases like dementia can be hard, especially if you are still living alone. If you or a loved one is dealing something like this or is struggling to live independently you may want to look into assisted living communities. At the living facilities as Landmark Senior Living, we offer residents a path forward that uses both medical care and social activities to allow them to enjoy a healthy and happy life in their later years.
