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  1. Difficult Behaviors
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  2. Medication for abusive behavior in alzheimer's patients

Is there a better medication for my Alzheimer's mother to help control her abusive behavior?

A fellow caregiver asked...

My mother has been in a nursing home for about 3 months. She has severe dementia and was originally placed in the nursing home after a stay in the hospital for blood clots. My dad cannot care for her at home but the nursing home acts like they cannot care for her either. They say she is too abusive and arguementative and are trying to find her a bed in another facility. They have her on seraquil but it does not seem to help. The biggest problem with her care is that she cannot keep herself clean and won't let others help her.We feel like there must be other medications that could help manage her behavior. Right now she is on private pay but will eventually get medicaid. If we move her to a private facility we are afraid we will never be able to get her back into a nursing home when their money runs out and she needs medicaid coverage. Any ideas. I am lost!

Expert Answer

Ladislav Volicer, M.D., Ph.D., is recognized as an international expert on advanced dementia care. He is a courtesy full professor at the School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, and visiting professor at the Third Medical Faculty, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. Twenty-five years ago, he established one of the first dementia special care units.

Rejection of care is quite common in individuals with advanced dementia. Your mother does not understand why the caregivers try to provide care for her and resist their care. In addition to the lack of understanding, rejection of care is often caused by depression. The best would be, if you could find a place that specializes in care for Alzheimer patients because the staff is more skillful in decreasing resistiveness to care. You might also suggest that an antidepressant treatment could be useful in improving your mother's behavior.