Understanding Agitated Behavior

Caregivers for Alzheimer's Patients | Dementia Care | Care Managers
Arizona, Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa, Gilbert, AZ

When dealing with those suffering with the memory loss and confusion of Alzheimer’s or Dementia, we tend to forget patients’ limited ability to communicate. In many instances, the frustration felt by their inability to express their feelings correctly causes them to become very agitated, angry or even violent. Agitation, frustration, and anger can often times become patients’ sole coping mechanism or mode of expression.

As caregivers, it is up to us to identify the events or situations that tend to “trigger” stress and agitation. It is equally important to identify instances where the agitation is sudden and seems to have no trigger at all. Here are a few tips to help reduce stress for your loved ones.


Chaos – It is important to adjust the environment immediately surrounding your loved one. Visual chaos like stark shadows from windows, light fixtures, or household clutter can be agitating to patients. Lots of mirrors, shiny objects or even bright colors can also cause stress. Loud or repetitive noises are also key triggers to agitation. Make sure to focus on creating a calm environment.

Overcompensating – Most of us tend to overcompensate for the memory loss of our loved ones. It is important to remember that an increase in the frequency of reminders, repeating, questioning or quizzing will most often not help the situation. It is more important to be patient and understanding with them. What is really happening is not necessarily important for them to know. If they don’t recognize their surroundings… it’s okay to pretend your visiting friends and simply “play along.”

Routine – Consistency in environment and daily routine are key in reducing stress for Alzheimer’s and Dementia patients. Make sure to refrain from excessive holiday decorating and other noticeable changes around their living spaces. Daily activities and meal times should remain as consistent as possible. Even though visitors can be a welcome change and sometimes trigger old memories that make for some of the better moments… too many visitors can be overwhelming and cause significant stress.


Fatigue – If your loved one tends to get agitated late in the day, it could be a sign they are not getting enough rest. Try to have consistent rest times during the day and make sure the “rest” environment differs from the “sleep” environment. For example, let them rest in an easy-chair vs. climbing into bed under the covers. If they are waking up in the middle of the night confused more often… they may not be getting enough rest during the daytime.

Medication – When trying to medicate Alzheimer’s and dementia patients, it is necessary to experiment with drug variations, different dosage and combinations in order to find what works best for each individual. Make sure to take careful notes and pay close attention to behavior changes as they relate to medication adjustments.  Each involved party that has regular interaction with the patient (family members, caregivers, medical professionals, etc.) should take their own notes as patients may behave differently around different people.  After long enough period has passed (generally a couple weeks), parties should compare notes and seek any noticeable trends/changes. Many times, agitation can be the result of these changes.

Care Management – Care Management is a service offered to patients and their families that allows for experienced medical professionals to regularly assess the client and their situation and determine the continually evolving needs of the patient.  Care Managers are knowledgeable about the many different service options and vendors available in the client’s area to meet their needs and ensure follow through on the whole process.  Hiring a professional Care Manager is the best way to make sure your loved one has all of the best resources to ensure the best possible quality of life. There is a whole world of help available to you and your loved ones, a qualified Care Manager in Arizona can help guide you through every step of the way.

Caring for a Loved One with Alzheimer's...

Caring for Elderly | Alzheimer's | Dementia
Arizona, Gilbert, Phoenix, Tempe, Scottsdale, Chandler, AZ

There truly is nothing more heartbreaking than the day you realize it wont be long before one of your loved ones doesn't recognize you. How does one really prepare for such a moment...?

When you realize that caring for a loved one suffering with Dementia or Alzheimer's is going to require help... please consult with a professional care manager first. An experienced care manager in Arizona will be able to save you time, money and heartache by connecting you with trusted local resources. You are not alone... there are abundant resources available to help you plan for the future care of your elderly loved ones.

Here is a good article on Caring for aging loved ones: click here

Elderly Drivers Balance Independence and Safety

Elderly Driving | Elderly Independence
AZ, Gilbert, Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa, Arizona

We recently found this great article about elderly drivers maintaining independence:

Having to deal with and adjust to change is a scary and difficult ordeal, especially after you have done something for 45 years or so – like driving in Arizona. As we age, we must realize that changes in our bodies can affect our driving ability and we may need to consider care management or a care plan.

Growing older means that our coordination is not as sharp and the ability to be flexible is limited; also our strength in general is reduced.

Aging does not mean that elderly drivers automatically loss their ability to drive; but some modification might be necessary. These tips for elderly drivers will help them remain safe on the road and keep elderly drivers independent longer:

To read the entire article click here

Rising Cost of Elder Care in Arizona...

Elder Care Expenses | Affording Cost of Parents | Elder Care Management
Arizona, Glendale, Scottsdale, Gilbert, Tempe, AZ

With Medicare and Medicaid constantly changing their coverage, more and more families are struggling to provide adult or elder care for their aging or disabled loved ones in Arizona. Planning for the future is imperative for all families with aging parents or relatives.

Make sure to consult a qualified Care Manager in Arizona before trying to take on the weight of this responsibility yourself. An experienced Care Manager will guide you through the care planning process and share valuable resources with you and your family so you can make the best decisions for the care recipient. Your aging loved ones deserve the best possible "quality of life" available.

Here is a great article on Elder Care Expenses.

Are Your Elderly Parents Eating Well...?

Nutrition for Elderly | Elderly Health Issues | Senior Health
Chandler, Tempe, Mesa, Gilbert, Arizona

A relatively large portion of the population in Arizona are seniors. This means that many Arizona families are involved in caring for aging parents or loved ones. Sometimes we don't pick up on the signs of poor eating habits in our elderly loved ones. We recently read a great article about nutrition for seniors and wanted to share it...

Eating well is important at any age. But health issues and physical limitations sometimes make it difficult for seniors, the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population, to get the nutrients they need for a balanced diet. Poor nutrition and malnutrition occur in 15 to 50 percent of the elderly population. - Read Entire Article Here

Is Mom getting enough sleep?

Sleeping Problems for Elderly | Mom Sleeping Less | Older People with Insomnia
Phoenix, Tempe, Gilbert, Chandler, AZ, Arizona

Aging and Sleep

More than half of men and women over the age of 65 complain of at least one sleep problem. Many older people experience insomnia and other sleep difficulties on a regular basis.

As we get older, our sleep patterns change. In general, older people sleep less, experience more fragmented sleep, and spend less time in stages 3 & 4 and REM sleep (for example, deep sleep and dream sleep) than younger people. However, regardless of your age, good restorative sleep is essential to physical health and emotional well-being.

What Causes Sleep Problems in Older People?

Several factors may contribute to the inability to sleep well as we get older. Some common causes include:

To read the entire article on WebMD click here

Quality of Life...

This is more than a buzz word or phrase for a professional care manager. Providing the best possible care and living arrangements for the elderly or disabled is the mission of any Care  Manager or Care Giver. Depending on the situation, the phrase "Quality of Life" can have a very different meanings to different people. A recent study conducted by researches at the San Francisco VA Medical indicates that for disabled elderly people, quality living is closely tied to two factors: a sense of dignity and a sense of control.

"Control" to elders means a sense of autonomy in their activities and daily living. Because of disability, not all of them are able do to all activities on their own, but they want to feel they have some say in how those activities progress throughout the day” said lead author Jennifer King, MD

The two factors were singled out as important by members of all ethnic groups in the study, which was based on a series of qualitative interviews with 62 disabled elders. The ethnic groups represented included white, African American, Latino and Chinese American.

When asked to rate the quality of their own lives on a five-point scale that ranged from “excellent” to “poor,” 87 percent of the elders responded “fair to very good,” which was in the middle of the scale.

Read entire article here