Is being combative a sign of dementia or Alzheimer's?

Yes, it is a sign. Hopefully, she has a neurologist that can order medication to help deal with it. She can be asked to leave the AL if combative with staff or residents. Dementia like Lewy Body effects the frontal lobe where emotions are. People suffering from it can become violent.

She maybe this way because she is in a strange environment. Something for anxiety wouldn't hurt. I would also allow her to allow staff to deal with any problems she has. Visit only for a little while. Calls should be infrequent. Allow staff to do what they are being paid to do. Bathe, dress, toileting, ect. All you need to do is visit and bring her things, like Depends, toiletries, that the facility does not provide.

Yes, it certainly CAN be a part of dementia, and especially in some frontal lobe issues, some Parkinsonian changes. So it depends. Dementia is as unique as our own thumb prints. You know what to expect from her. There is nothing you can do about how she now sees the world. In some instances medications are needed and as much as people complain of seeing Seniors "snowed" I can assure you that there are times you have two choices: snowed or combative. We have very little control over the human brain and what can happen to it. There are only tools we have to try. None of them are part of any exact science.

The best assistance we got during my mother's several years of vascular dementia was from geriatric psychiatrists.

I am not suggesting that she needs medication necessarily, but geri psychs are very good at figuring out what is "adjustment" and what is a lifelong personality issue related to depression, anxiety and/or paranoia, which sometimes CAN be ameliorated by meds.

Do not take her into your home or remove her from AL. She’ll get past the “I’m a prisoner” in time. Three weeks isn’t enough time to get fully acclimated.

And yes, combativeness is definitely part of dementia and Alzheimers.