Aim: Although wandering is one of the major research focuses of the behavioural psychological symptoms of dementia, assessment of wandering has mostly relied on caregiver-administered questionnaires. The purpose of this study was to compare staff-administered Algase Wandering Scale outcomes with objective temporal and spatial movement indicators obtained from the Integrated Circuit (IC) tag monitoring system. Methods: Patients with dementia were recruited from a dementia care unit in Osaka, Japan in 2007. Primary nurses administered the Algase Wandering Scale, and the temporal and spatial movements of the subjects were monitored by the IC tag. Written informed consent was obtained from each subject's proxies. Results: Nurses' assessments of wandering were in agreement with the IC tag outcomes only during the day shift. Spatial movements assessed by the staff did not reflect those measured by the IC tag. Conclusion: This objective measurement of wandering showed the limitations in the assessment of spatial and temporal movement by the staff.

Dementia patients were overrepresented in the inedible substance ingestion incidents. Items they wore or applied to their bodies were often subject to ingestion, and such behaviours mostly occurred around meal time. Therefore, the nursing staff were able to discover them quickly and treat most of the cases free of serious consequences. In contrast, schizophrenic patients were underrepresented in the incidents, and most cases involved ingestion of detergent powder or cigarettes, resulting in more serious consequences and requiring treatment.

Purpose: This study compared age differences in risk factors for falls requiring treatment in psychiatric patients. Design and Methods: An incident database was used to compare fall incidents in patients aged less than 65 years and those aged greater than or equal to 65 years. Findings: Approximately 30% of fallers were less than 65 years. Mental status and medication were the main risk factors. Decreased activities of daily living were associated with the most falls in patients greater than or equal to 65 years. Practice Implications: Fall risk differed between the two age groups. Medication may play a major role in falls among patients less than 65 years.

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The data were collected with a survey questionnaire by including background question items with the Mentor Competence Instrument. K-clustering and structural equation modeling were used for data analysis.Results: Four mentor profiles, A (43%), B (30%), C (18%), and D (9%), were identified according to the seven mentoring competence areas with high statistical significance (p < 0.001). Higher mentoring competence (mean >3.50) was observed among Finnish, Lithuanian, and Slovenian mentors with university education in nursing, older ages, more work experience, and previous education in mentoring. Lower competence (mean <2.49) was observed among Japanese and Italian mentors with diplomas in nursing, younger ages, less work experience, and no previous education in mentoring.