At PsychoGeriatric Services (PGS), compassionate innovation is at the heart of the care we provide. One powerful example of this is Dr. James Arnold’s antibullying and anger management group. An initiative born from a deep understanding of the complex emotional landscapes in long-term care communities. This group seeks to make a tangible difference in the lives of older adults navigating the complexities of communal living.
With over six years of experience at PGS and eight years working in nursing homes, Dr. Arnold has seen firsthand how interpersonal tensions can surface among residents. When a facility approached him with concerns about bullying behavior—residents exchanging unkind words, pushing boundaries, and harboring long-standing animosities, he initialized a group intervention to address the root causes. It was affecting the community, and the staff recognized a need for a structured group to help deescalate situations and encourage resolution.
This initiative also shines a light on a topic that is often not discussed: bullying among older adults. While the term may conjure images of schoolyards, the dynamics of social conflict don’t disappear with age. Miscommunication and misunderstanding of other individuals’ personal struggles are often the central conflict of bullying behaviors. What makes it unique in geriatric populations is the deep emotional undercurrents of grief, loss, fear, and frustration that fuel conflict. Factors like duration of stay, personal history, and emotional distress can create tension between residents. According to Dr. Arnold, this group evolved from a direct request for an antibullying initiative into something broader and more impactful: a focused anger management and emotional processing program.
“Bullying among older adults isn’t fundamentally different from what we see in other populations,” Dr. Arnold noted. “But in long-term care, anger often stems from deep emotional pain—grief, loss, isolation. Processing those feelings is key to healing.”
Rather than labeling behavior or residents, the group emphasizes empathy, understanding, and emotional resilience.
Meeting once a week for an hour over a span of eight sessions, the group welcomes 6–10 residents at a time. Participants learn to identify their personal anger cues, the common roots of anger, how it manifests, explore triggers common in a shared living environment, and practice practical de-escalation strategies some of which include breathing techniques, mindfulness, relaxation visualization, walking away, and seeking staff support.
Dr. Arnold describes the sessions as psychoeducational with therapeutic undertones. Each meeting starts with a check-in, offering space for residents to reflect on their feelings, interactions since the previous session, and any specific incidents they would like to work through. The group also engages in role-playing exercises to rehearse healthier responses to conflict, aiming to replace reaction with reflection.
Designing a group like this comes with its challenges. It requires thoughtful participant selection to ensure cognitive readiness, and logistical coordination to gather residents and maintain a distraction-free space. Yet Dr. Arnold emphasizes that staff support, and resident engagement have made the group a success.
“Empathy is catching,” Dr. Arnold explains. “Once the group builds camaraderie, residents begin to hear each other’s perspectives, and that’s healing in itself.”
The results have been promising. “They’ve all made moderate progress,” Dr. Arnold notes. “One resident who previously received frequent complaints is now more sociable and approachable. Staff have seen the change too.”
Dr. Arnold believes this model has strong potential to be replicated in other long-term care facilities because anger management and emotional processing are universally relevant. It’s about equipping people with the tools to handle distress in a healthy way.
His advice for others interested in starting a similar group? Be open to groups as a path to conflict resolution. Even if you’ve tried it before, you may be surprised at how successful it can be. He recommends using resources like NAMI’s Anger Management guides, relying on clinical supervision, and remaining flexible. Most importantly, be open to the idea of using groups for conflict resolution and emotional support. “It’s another way to help residents. It keeps us grounded in the mission of care.”
As for what’s next, Dr. Arnold is already planning the next cycle of sessions with new residents and hopes to continue evolving the group to delve deeper into emotional processing and expand the range of tools offered.
Leading this group has been deeply rewarding for Dr. Arnold. “It’s another way to help residents. Another way to serve,” he shared. “In geriatrics, we deal with so many intense emotions. Staying connected to that clinical work, not just treating symptoms but helping residents understand themselves, is very worthwhile.”
As the program continues, Dr. Arnold hopes to expand the curriculum to include deeper emotional processing methods and incorporate additional techniques. His ultimate goal is to keep creating spaces where older adults feel heard, supported, and empowered to resolve conflicts with compassion. This work is a reminder that mental wellness has no age limit and that with the right approach, healing and understanding can thrive at any stage of life.
