working with pts with dementia?

[pookashellz]

i just had my annual performance review and he suggested taking CEUs geared toward working with dementia patients. i can't stand working with them and i'm not good at it. i have no idea how to talk to them and they actually make me really angry and frustrated and i often have to step out of the room before i seriously lose my patience. i've taken CEUs specifically on how to deal with dementia behaviors, but idk if they really helped.

i think part of it might be that I have Aspergers; I do well socializing /working with cognitively intact patients (it is exhausting for me and I've had to learn it, it's definitely not something that comes naturally, but I apparently do it well) and my performance review included lots of praise for my technical skills, time management, attention to detail, etc. (the non-people aspects of my job. ) But working with pts who aren't all there cognitively, especially when they're "agitated" and screaming/ranting about nonsense- I literally have no idea how to work with them without losing my patience. My assignment today included 2 patients with dementia and I felt like I was going to have a stroke by lunchtime. I never had to deal with this until recently, because my facility was really selective about who they admitted (lots of easy ortho patients, s/p hip and knee fractures/replacements mostly) but now they're getting more lax because it's been slow and they want $$$$. any practical advice on dealing with dementia patients would be appreciated!