Alzheimer's and Dementia for Dummies by Consumer Dummies & Simon Atkins MD & Mark Edwin Kunik MD MPH & Mary Kenan PhD & Patricia Burkhart Smith

Author:Consumer Dummies & Simon Atkins MD & Mark Edwin Kunik MD, MPH & Mary Kenan PhD & Patricia Burkhart Smith
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781119187776
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2016-02-22T00:00:00+00:00

Managing mood swings

Wild mood swings can actually be one of the early signs of dementia, but as the condition progresses, you may start to see more persistent tantrums or depression in your loved one (although the apathy of some AD patients is frequently misdiagnosed as depression). Other families have to contend with a loved one who always seems to be in a bad mood for no discernible reason. It’s tough to deal with someone who is always finding fault and picking at you, but try to remember why this is happening and separate the event from your feelings for your family member. He isn’t being difficult on purpose.

Caregivers and healthcare providers should look for possible underlying causes for these behavioral problems, including pain, psychosis (paranoia), medical conditions, and side effects of medications.

Doctors are reluctant to treat psychiatric symptoms pharmacologically in AD and dementia patients because many psychiatric drugs, particularly the antipsychotic medications, have undesirable side effects in older adults. These drugs can cause fogginess, disorientation, and sleepiness that can contribute to a fall and can even increase mortality when used to treat dementia-related psychosis. See Chapter 8 for details on antipsychotic medications.

So what can you do if medications aren’t appropriate? A good therapy for mood swings in an older adult is to get her out of the house and into some enjoyable and appropriate activity. Many families have found that enrolling their loved one in an adult daycare center, even for a half day, two or three times a week, can greatly improve dispositions all around.

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