Anger is a human emotion which can have dire consequences. One can feel such emotion when they experience someone has gone against them or has done something wrong to them. Anyone from any age group can feel anger but there can be different causes behind them. Lets talk about anger issues during late adulthood, their causes, and most importantly, how to manage it.
Occurrence of anger is normal and natural but one has to understand when the condition is going out of our hands and usual emotion is becoming a cause of trouble. A lot of times, old people outburst in anger on family members and caregivers which can be a result of following causes:
Emotional health issues
As like physical and mental health, emotional health keeps equal importance in our life. Depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar and so on can be a reason for anger behind your aging adult one. This can be treated by professionals so do not shy away and move ahead to ask for help from professionals.
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Loneliness and frustration
Oldies are generally free from some of daily routine activities and their children tend to take over those activities due to which, old parents are not able to demand time with family and eventually this leads to loneliness. This can make older people feel neglected which ultimately can be the reason for anger.
Ageing adults also become dependent on their children for help with time, due to deteriorating health issues which make them feel helpless as they are not even able to perform daily routine activities such as wearing clothes, bathing, walking etc. This can lead to anger and frustration.
Physical pain and illnesses
People from late adulthood are most of the time facing pain in joints, headache or pain all over the body which can be sometimes unbearable and ultimately leads to irritation and anger in oldies.
Inadequate rest
When a person reaches old age, they face sleep disorders such as insomnia and not being able to take rest properly which gradually causes them other health issues and they become frustrated with this condition. Seniors are more likely to be angry on small issues when they are tired and exhausted. Disturbance in sleep patterns can also cause anger.
Communication gap
Seniors are not able to communicate their emotions to their loved ones, sometimes even they are not able to keep their demands and discomfort in front of their family members. This can agitate them.
How to support aging adults with anger?
- Try to understand them, you must be aware of your ageing adult ones and must know about some of their habits which they only do when they are angry or irritated. Try to calm them when you notice such a thing.
- Do not make them feel lonely, you may not be leaving them alone or you are busy with your daily work but avoid making them feel alone. Try to spend some time before sleeping with them, this will also result in good sleep and a happy mood.
- Do not ignore the needs of old members in your house and listen to them carefully. Spend some quality time with them, you can listen to music, stories or can play games and watch movies with them.
- Make your dear ones laugh and relax. Whenever they are yelling at anything, try to change their mind from a certain situation and make them understand everything will be ok!
- If their anger is more than enough, identify the underlying cause with the help of professionals.
- Maintain a positive environment in your house and ensure someone is always there to help and support them.
- Sometimes oldies get frustrated from even small things, make sure their clothes are of soft stuff, their basic needs are fulfilled and always available with medicine.