Violence a feature of Dementia?

[john1939]

Hello, I have heard that my wife who is in a care home punched a podiatrist who had been called in to attend her feet. This sort of aggression is nothing new, but is the first time my wife has attacked a non family person. I myself have been slapped and punched many times for some imagined slight. Sometimes I wonder if this is a previously suppressed action being released by Alzheimers?

 

[MartinWL]

I don't think anyone could answer that question as too little seems to be known about the illness. Aggressive behaviour is not common but not that rare either.

 

[jaymor]

Someone with dementia might hit out in fear when approached by a stranger who starts to ‘ interfer’ as they see it, with them. They are not able to understand that a carer or in this case the podiatrist is there to help so put up a defence the only way they know how.