Management of challenging behaviour in dementia

AIM: To understand nurses' knowledge, beliefs and experiences affect pain management practices in hospitalised persons living with dementia (PLWD). DESIGN: Naturalistic inquiry using qualitative descriptive design. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 registered nurses who worked in one acute care hospital in Southern California from October to November 2022. Data were analysed using content analysis to identify themes...

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the acceptability and usefulness of Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) training in enhancing the capabilities of support staff and family members providing behaviour support to residents with dementia in residential aged care (RAC). METHODS: A mixed-methods pilot study was conducted across 3 RAC organisations, involving pre- and post-training questionnaire assessments for clinical leaders (n = 8), support staff (n = 37) and family members (n = 18)...

This qualitative study aimed to provide family caregivers with an independent platform to reflect on and identify their needs in the role of dementia caregiver. Thirty caregivers were interviewed using a semi-structured approach, and data analysis followed a reflective thematic analysis method. The study revealed that Black African caregivers in townships require sufficient information and orientation to dementia-specific services, psychoeducation on dementia as a disease and its behavioural manifestations, as well as practical skills to manage the disease process...

BACKGROUND: Work schedules can make it challenging for professional care workers to participate in long-term training programs on managing behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). Simultaneously, it is necessary to prevent caregivers' negative responses to BPSD, provide a positive environment for people with dementia, and create a system for new management plans, since the initial one is often unsuccessful. Therefore, we developed a short manual-based training system for functional analysis including positive behaviour support and strategies when management plans do not function well...

Agitation, a commonly observed behaviour in people living with dementia (PLwD), is frequently interpreted as a response to physiological, environmental, or emotional stress. Agitation has the potential to pose health risks to both individuals and their caregivers, and can contribute to increased caregiver burden and stress. Early detection of agitation can facilitate with timely intervention, which has the potential to prevent escalation to other challenging behaviors. Wearable and ambient sensors are frequently used to monitor physiological and behavioral conditions and the collected signals can be engaged to detect the onset of an agitation episode...

PURPOSE: Clinical placement teaching could be challenging due to time constraints, lack of effective teaching models and consensus approaches. Learner-centred approach facilitated deeper learning by demonstrating "seeing-patients-under-supervision" being ideal during Residential-Aged-Care-Facility (RACF)-visit in GP clinical placements. The study aimed to reflect on the students' experiences in aged-care visits by applying an innovative teaching model of "students-being-the-GP-clinician-in-charge-of-RACF-visit-ward-round-under-the-supervision-of-clinical-supervisor"...

BACKGROUND: Major neurocognitive disorder presents many challenges to patients, families and healthcare systems, especially when a patient requires admission to a psychiatric hospital. AIM: To identify characteristics of older patients with major neurocognitive disorder at risk of prolonged admission in a psychiatric hospital. SETTING: A tertiary psychiatric hospital in Gauteng province, South Africa. METHODS: The authors conducted a retrospective review of the hospital database and clinical files...

BACKGROUND: Older adults living with dementia may express challenging responsive behaviours. One management strategy is pharmacologic treatment though these options often have limited benefit, which may lead to multiple treatments being prescribed. METHODS: The aim of the present study was to describe psychoactive medication polypharmacy and explore factors associated with psychoactive polypharmacy in a cohort of older adults living with dementia in Nova Scotia, Canada, including a gender-stratified analysis...

AIM: To review existing research on nonpharmacological tactile activity interventions for reducing behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia in the acute hospital setting. BACKGROUND: When people living with dementia are admitted to hospital, they often experience an exacerbation of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. Pharmacological interventions are often used to manage behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia despite the low success rate and the heightened risk of morbidity and mortality...

INTRODUCTION: Agitation is a common manifestation of the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). Pharmacotherapy is not the first-line management because of its potential harms, particularly in the elderly. Music as a non-pharmacological intervention for agitation has been explored in residential aged-care facilities, but few studies have been situated in hospitals. This pilot aims to evaluate the feasibility of a personalised music listening intervention for reducing agitation in hospitalised patients with dementia in a metropolitan Geriatric Evaluation and Management (GEM) unit...

BACKGROUND: The prescription of psychotropic medication to older people living with dementia in residential aged care has become an increasing concern. The use of prescription medication is often prefaced as a way of preventing harm to self and others. However, the use of such medications has been considered a way of managing some of the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. Using a large secondary data set, this study aimed to identify the precursors and mediating factors that influence the use of chemical restraint of older people in residential aged care...

OBJECTIVE: To review and synthesise the evidence on informal carers' information needs in managing behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) of their care recipients and related mobile health (mHealth) applications to inform the design of an mHealth application. DESIGN: This is a systematic integrative review guided by Whittemore and Knafl's five-stages framework. Six databases were searched: Cochrane, CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, ProQuest and PsycINFO...

BACKGROUND: Behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are challenging to manage, leading to caregiver burden and often to subsequent transfer of patients to a nursing home or psychiatric hospital for treatment. Eliciting favourable positive emotions should be an important goal in the treatment of negative emotions associated with BPSD. To date, no data have indicated that antipsychotic medications can improve positive emotions. BPSD are known to be associated with anxiety in patients with dementia...

BACKGROUND: Patients with cognitive impairment exhibiting agitation and aggression are challenging to manage in the acute hospital setting. When a patient's behaviours place themselves or others at risk of harm, a Clinical Aggression Response Team (C-ART) is dispatched.The aims of this project were to describe the characteristics of patients receiving a C-ART call and the experiences of C-ART staff members via semistructured interviews. Additionally, to audit local practice against two established standards of practice (Local C-ART Call Guideline and Australian Cognitive Impairment Guideline), to develop interventions to address identified shortfalls in adherence to these standards of practice and finally to re-evaluate adherence postintervention...

BACKGROUND: Mobile X-ray unit have previously been widely used within hospitals in general, predominately for imaging patients admitted to intensive care units or for patients who cannot tolerate a visit to the radiology department. It is now possible to have an X-ray examination outside the hospital in nursing homes or to bring the service to frail, vulnerable or disabled patients. A visit to the hospital can be a frightening experience for vulnerable patients living with dementia or other neurological disorder...

This review examines the ways in which physical activity can contribute to a sustainable future by addressing significant public health issues. The review begins by identifying obesity and ageing as two major challenges facing societies around the world due to the association of both with the risk of chronic disease. Recent developments in the understanding and treatment of obesity are examined followed by an appraisal of the role of exercise alone and in combination with other therapies in preventing and managing obesity...

OBJECTIVE: NICE guidelines recommend non-pharmacological interventions as the first-line approach for the management of behaviours that challenge. Recent work, however, highlights dissatisfaction with the lack of detailed guidance in the national guidelines regarding non-drug interventions. This study examines the views of practitioners regarding non-pharmacological treatments. It further explores perspectives on non-pharmacological strategies used in the management of agitation occurring within episodes of behaviours that challenge...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: People with dementia have been affected in unique ways during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is not known whether the impact of the pandemic has changed with time or with the changes in social restrictions. This study explored how experiences of coping with the effects of the pandemic in the UK changed over time. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with people with dementia living in the community in England and Wales who had taken part in a qualitative interview at an earlier stage of the pandemic...

BACKGROUND: Pain management for people with dementia is challenging. There is limited understanding on the experiences of pain management from people with dementia, but also from those who support them. This study synthesised the qualitative evidence to explore the perspectives of people with dementia, their family, friends, carers and healthcare professionals to pain management. METHODS: A systematic literature review was undertaken of published and unpublished literature databases (to 01 November 2021)...

Pain is common in people with dementia, and pain can exacerbate the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. Effective pain management is challenging, not least in people with dementia. Impairments of cognition, communication and abstract thought can make communicating pain unreliable or impossible. It is unclear which biopsychosocial interventions for pain management are effective in people with dementia, and which interventions for behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia are effective in people with pain...