Anger and Your Aging Loved One

Anger is a really common emotion for seniors to experience, especially if their health has taken a nosedive recently. The problem is that often the only target on which your senior may be able to safely vent her anger is likely to be you. That’s not a good situation for either of you.

What’s the Cause?

You may feel as if there’s no real cause for your senior’s anger. And that could be true. But it’s highly likely that her anger is about more than just one thing. As she ages, your senior is experiencing small losses constantly. She might be frustrated about her health or about abilities she’s lost along the way. Regardless, even if you can’t see it, there is definitely a cause. She might even share with you some of what she’s feeling.

You Might Want to Talk to Her Doctor

If you’re still not sure what’s going on with your senior’s moods, it might be time to talk to her doctor. There may be side effects from medications or even from health issues themselves that are contributing to how your senior is feeling right now. Her doctor may be able to shed some light on what’s happening so that you don’t continue to feel as if you’re stuck in the dark.

Try not to Take it Personally

There may well be ways that you’re frustrating or upsetting your senior. But even if you are the one making her angry, it’s important that you avoid taking her anger personally. If you let it chip away at you, that’s going to affect your ability to keep being the best caregiver you can be. And if you’re not the source of her anger at all, you definitely don’t want to bear the brunt of it.

Remember to Take Care of You

All of that said, you have got to take care of yourself throughout this process. As a caregiver, you need to take time away to deal with your own emotions and to help you to recharge yourself. If you’re not taking respite time already, you need to start. Home care providers can take over for you while you’re gone and ensure that your senior has what she needs until you get back.

If your elderly family member is angry more often than not lately, there are reasons. You may not understand them just yet, but the more that you try to understand and to help, hopefully the more she’ll feel comfortable accepting your help.

When you are in need of care for a senior loved one, consider caregivers provided by Golden Heart Senior Care. We have offices nationwide.