What Helps in Calming Alzheimer’s Patients Down – What to Know

Many factors contribute to the agitated feeling the people with dementia have. At some point, it can be more rampant as their behaviors get constantly triggered by factors, such as their environment, illnesses, or a bad mood.

For people who are living with Alzheimer’s patients, it’s important to understand how to make them feel calm and relaxed. While it can be challenging since people with dementia are in their own version of the world, there are some methods that can help calm them down. Read on.

Approaching them calmly

As obvious as it may seem, you want to avoid being consumed by your emotions and be forceful or aggressive. Aggression will make patients feel more frustrated, and it’ll make matters worse. Additionally, the behaviors that the patient show reflect the interactions they have, which is why it’s important to approach them calmly and talk to them in a relaxed manner. You also want to smile and use a soothing voice to make them feel accepted.

Music therapy

Music does wonders for the human mind, which makes it effective for calming dementia patients down. Music releases dopamine, which is the chemical in the brain that induces happy feelings and sends the body in a state of euphoria. With music therapy, Alzheimer’s patients can easily jive in with a happy tune, making them feel more relaxed, and replacing all their negative emotions with euphoric and nostalgic feelings.

Pet therapy

Furry friends bring joy to almost every person, including patients with dementia. Pet therapy provides many benefits to patients, which induces happy feelings. Not only does pet therapy decreases agitation for people with Alzheimer’s, but they also experience an increase in physical activity and appetite. Hypersocial animals like dogs can give patients with a joyful feeling by giving them a chance to take care of someone again.

Providing reassurance

Sometimes, the agitation that patients feel is due to the fear of being unwanted or unloved. When this happens, it’s important to provide patients with the reassurance that they are welcome no matter what and that their feelings matter. Phrases like “I’m sorry something is making you upset” or “everyone here loves you” can be more than enough calm them down. By reassuring them that they are accepted, you’re decreasing their chances of feeling aggressive and frustrated about various matters.

Gently touching them

The warm feeling that a gentle human touch can give to a patient can provide them with a soothing and calming feeling. For that reason, it’s important to incorporate gentle touches into your approach. Hold their hands and softly rub their backs can help calm them down because the gentle touches, along with a soothing voice, pacify negative emotions.

Moving them into a place where they feel like they belong

Specialized care communities take care of dementia patients and are trained to appease the agitated feeling they might have. In these facilities, there are also activities that your loved one can engage in. Any repressed feelings they might have can be let out in these facilities, helping them feel calmer and happier.

Conclusion

While the above mentioned are all effective ways of making someone with dementia feel relaxed, the number one thing that helps in calming patients down is through understanding. By showing them that you understand and accept them no matter what, you’re able to pass those positive feelings onto them, helping them become more aware of their behavior and eventually, regain their composure.

We provide Alzheimer’s care services in Houston. Talk to us today and let us help. We’re happy to help.