Alzheimer’s and Violence; A common misconception
Often, when I am counseling a family that has just received a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, someone will ask, “When will they become violent?”
This question reveals one of the most common and tragic misconceptions about the disease; that Alzheimer’s leads to violent behavior; that their person will become unpredictable and dangerous.
It is true that one of the results of Alzheimer’s – and many other forms of dementia – is personality change. But this change is not consistently toward violent behavior. If your person has a cooperative personality, this is likely to continue. If they have been a difficult and combative, dementia is not likely to cause them to improve! But Alzheimer’s does not invariably change a person toward unpleasant, confrontational, or violent behavior. Continue reading “Alzheimer’s and Violence; A common misconception!”