Physical Aggression

Kewpie

What if he does hit me? Do I call 911? Do I call my son? Do I leave the house? Do I lock myself in the bathroom? What do I do?

Jgirl57

get in safe room, lock the door, call 911 and state your family with Alzheimer’s is in an altered state and needs the ER for evaluation. Let them know he did hit you. Have papers ( DPOA ) close by and anything else that supports his diagnosis.

jgreen

Hi @Kewpie

Welcome. So sorry you have to be here; glad you found us and spoke up. Has your loved one been aggressive? If ‘yes’ have you spoken or alerted your physician? There are medications that can help with aggression, and bring him some calmness.

I agree with @Jgirl57 - call 911. If you are able, speak with someone at local police or sheriff’s dept ahead of time to let them know you have a family member with dementia. That way any first responders have that info and can treat any emergencies accordingly.

Do come here often and let us know how you are doing. We’ve all been there and are here to listen and support you.

SDianeL

ask them to admit him to a Geri Psyche unit for evaluation. Do not allow them to discharge him until he is medicated and stable. Tell them you do not feel safe. Meanwhile call his doctor and tell the office it is urgent and explain what is happening. Don’t delay. Your safety is at risk.

harshedbuzz

Ideally, leave the house. Locked in your car with a phone is good. Don't lock yourself in a room the doesn't have an egress.

Call 911. Once that's done, if you're in the house, record his behavior even if you just get audio. Have him transported to the ER for transfer to a geripsych for medication management.

HB

H1235

Welcome. I agree with all the above. Make sure you are wearing clothing each day that will allow you to have your phone with you at all times. The same would be true for your car keys. I would think it through and have an escape plan, depending on which part of the house you are in. Don’t be afraid to call 911 because you are picturing him in a jail cell. They will most likely bring him to the hospital for evaluation. Before it comes to all that, talk to his doctor and let him know how bad it is.

Chance Rider

In addition to the suggestions mentioned above, I would make sure you have a house key hidden somewhere outside in case you’re not able to grab your keys on the way out. My husband has, inadvertently at the time, locked me out of our house. I have something similar to a realtor lock box with a spare key inside.

Jeff H

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/263708#Comment_263708

This is an excellent point! My DW locked me out of the house during one of her aggressive episodes and I wasn't able to get back in until her episode subsided.

justbreathe2

Visiting a memory care home should I need in future, the sales representative, when I asked about care of their patients with anger. She told me to call 911 for ambulance. Tell operator has dementia diagnosis and like him to be transported to geropsychiatric for evaluation. They will give him something to calm him down. This is how they handle anger flare ups.

I haven’t had this problem yet.

jfkoc

Your safety must be your primary concern. Plan accordingly!!!