Agitation is a common symptom of dementia. It can arise due to several factors, including changes in routine or environment, increased noise levels, or restrictions on movements, behaviors, or habits. This situation and all that comes with it—anxiety, restlessness, anger—can be hard on seniors, their caregivers, and their loved ones. Here are a few dementia care tips for calming them down when they're in this state.

How to Calm an Agitated Senior

1. Remain Calm

A person with dementia can pick up on the feelings of those around them and mirror those emotions. So, if you deal with agitation with calmness and stability, there's a better chance the senior will approach it similarly.

When you see them getting upset, take a moment to breathe deeply and center yourself if you need to. When the senior sees you handling the situation calmly, they will feel safer and reassured. This can sometimes be enough to defuse their agitation and restore peace.

2. Make a Connection

A senior with dementia in an unsettled state can easily feel isolated in their distress, which often makes agitation and anxiety worse. When they become upset or restless, establish a physical connection with them to remind them they are not alone.

Make eye contact, put a hand on their shoulder, and talk to them, being sure to use calming words and movements so they can absorb and reflect some of this more relaxed energy. Ensuring a senior that they are not alone is a crucial part of supportive dementia care.

3. Focus on Feelings

Dementia impairs cognitive ability, which means there's a good chance an agitated senior is upset about something only they can see or perceive. For this reason, you want to focus more on feelings than facts when trying to calm them. 

You can't outargue dementia with facts; trying to do so will only lead to frustration for both parties and likely increase the senior's agitation. Instead, state the feelings you're observing in them and let them talk and express their thoughts, even if those thoughts don't make a lot of sense. You should also provide reassuring words and touch to reestablish calm.

If your senior loved one requires more routine dementia care, Country Villa Assisted Living is here to help. With locations in Omro, Freedom, Pulaski, and Little Chute, WI, their assisted living communities offer clean, comfortable, homelike accommodations. They provide well-appointed rooms featuring private bathrooms and individual climate controls, as well as a skilled on-site care team. Call (920) 422-4620 to schedule a tour, and visit their website for more information on their offerings.