Supporting Seniors Struggling with Emotional Outbursts

As seniors age, they may experience a range of emotional issues, including increased sensitivity, anxiety, and even outbursts of anger or aggression. While these behavioural changes are not uncommon, they can be extremely distressing for both the senior and their loved ones.

Understanding the underlying causes of these emotional struggles is crucial for providing effective care. Whether you’re caring for an elderly family member or senior with these challenges, TOUCH Elderly Group shares a guide to help you identify the underlying reasons and tips to navigate these challenges.

Seniors struggling with negative emotions often experience a complex interplay of grief and loss. This can encompass the loss of physical abilities, social roles, financial security, and cherished relationships with family and friends. Such grief can manifest in various ways, including anger, quarrels, irritability, and even violent behaviour. Even a joyous occasion like a wedding can evoke feelings of grief for a senior as they grapple with the fact that their child is leaving the family home.

Additionally, seniors living with dementia or taking medications for health conditions may experience changes in their bodies and side effects that contribute to feelings of fear, anxiety, and confusion [1]. For seniors living alone or who have limited social connections, they may struggle to share their concerns and experiences with others. The isolation can exacerbate their emotional well-being, as they have fewer outlets to distract them from their worries, causing them to spend a longer time dwelling on their negative thoughts and emotions. These coupled with the grief and loss associated with ageing can increase the likelihood of emotional outbursts and aggression in seniors.  

When we recognise the psychological factors underlying the anger outbursts and aggression, we’re taking one huge step towards helping seniors cope with grief and loss, and come to a place of acceptance. By acknowledging and understanding why they lash out in anger, we can take intentional steps to help seniors process their grief and overcome these negative emotions.

So, how do we care for seniors struggling with anger outbursts and aggression? Some tips include:

Stay calm and be patient: Stay calm when interacting with seniors who are struggling with negative emotions. Getting angry and becoming frustrated will only make the situation worse. By extending patience and understanding, you can offer reassurance and support, and create a safe and supportive environment where the senior can overcome their emotional issues. [1].

Allow them to cry and provide a listening ear: Crying can be a powerful tool to release pent-up emotions and begin the healing process. Encourage seniors to express their grief and loss without fear or shame, and make sure to listen attentively to them. See this as an opportunity to validate and process their emotions, and come to a place of acceptance for their stage of life.

Help them express their emotions healthily: Encourage seniors to express their grief and loss in a healthy way. This could involve talking to a trusted friend or family member, journaling, practicing mindfulness or deep breathing techniques or seeking professional counselling.

Set a routine of activities and engage them meaningfully: Establishing a consistent daily routine of activities can provide structure and stability for seniors who are struggling with negative emotions. On top of that, planning a special activity to look forward to each week can offer a sense of excitement and purpose. This could be something as simple as a visit from a loved one, going for a walk in nature, or trying a new hobby. With meaningful engagement, it gives seniors something to look forward to each week and helps shift their focus away from negative thoughts and emotions.

Encourage them to exercise: Regular physical activity can significantly enhance a senior's emotional health and well-being. Exercise has been proven to reduce stress, improve mood, and increase energy levels [2]. Encourage seniors to find exercises they enjoy and engage in it with their peers for added motivation. Invite seniors to visit Active Ageing Centres (AACs) near their homes to participate in a variety of senior-friendly exercises such as Chair Zumba to improve their well-being. TOUCH runs five AACs in Ang Mo Kio, Geylang Bahru, Yishun and Wellington, where we help seniors connect with one another, learn new things and stay physically and mentally active.

If you’ve experienced these anger outbursts and aggression, recognise that the seniors are not lashing out on you on purpose. Be patient and understanding as you journey with them to cope with and overcome their emotional struggles. Managing these challenges can be emotionally demanding, so remember to prioritise your own well-being and regulate your emotions in a healthy manner.

TOUCH Elderly Group provides a suite of home-based and care support services to meet the diverse needs of seniors and their caregivers to support ageing in community. It also runs active ageing centres under TOUCH Active Ageing. At TOUCH, we believe that enabled communities can build resilience, where individuals can be activated as resources - regardless of their needs or life stage - to support ageing in community. We strive to build a sustainable care eco-system by leveraging community assets, improving accessibility to social and healthcare services, strengthening care networks and harnessing digital capabilities to further optimise seniors’ mental and physical well-being. We will continue to anchor collaborations with stakeholders to co-create care solutions to promote happy, healthy and helpful communities.

Sources
1.  Jeremy, Rodriguez. “Dealing with Elderly Anger Outbursts” GrisWorld, 16. Jul 2024,  https://www.griswoldcare.com/blog/dealing-with-elderly-anger-outbursts/