Can Agitated Behavior of Nursing Home Residents with Dementia Be Prevented with the Use of Standardized Stimuli?

Abstract

Objectives-The objective of this paper was to assess the relative impact of different types of stimuli on agitated behaviors of nursing home residents with dementia.Design Setting/Participants-Participants were 111 residents of 7 Maryland nursing homes with a diagnosis of dementia who exhibited agitation.Intervention-Different types of stimuli (music, social stimuli, simulated social stimuli, and individualized stimuli based on the person's self-identity) to prevent behavior problems. Measurements-Agitation was directly observed and recorded via the Agitated Behaviors Mapping Instrument.Results-All stimulus categories were associated with significantly less physical agitation than baseline observations, and all except for manipulative stimuli were associated with significantly less total agitation. Live social stimuli were associated with less agitation than music, self-identity, work, simulated social, and manipulative stimulus categories. Task and reading stimulus categories were each associated with significantly less agitation than work, simulated social, and manipulative stimulus categories. Music and self-identity stimuli were associated with less agitation than simulated social and manipulative stimuli.Conclusion-Providing stimuli offers a proactive approach to preventing agitation in persons with dementia, with live social stimuli being most successful.

French lay people's and health professionals' views regarding the acceptability of involuntary treatment of nursing home residents

“…Behavioral problems (BPs) are frequent among nursing home residents (Cohen-Mansfield, Marx, Dakheel-Ali, Regier, Thein, and Freedman, 2010a). They take the form of (a) agitated behavior, either physical (e.g., general restlessness, wandering, inappropriate dressing) or verbal (e.g., repetitive questions, negativism), (b) aggression (e.g., insulting, kicking, scratching, throwing objects), and (c) hiding and hoarding (Rabinowitz, Davidson, De Deyn, Katz, Brodaty, & CohenMansfield, 2005).…”

Noncontingent Reinforcement of Disruptive Behaviors in Personal Care Home Settings

“…Direct care staff may find these behaviors overwhelming because they impede completion of daily tasks (Cohen-Mansfield et al, 2010). Direct care staff are frequently unable to identify why the behaviors occur and are uncertain about how to manage the behaviors without relying on restraint-based interventions.…”

Involvement in Activities and Wandering in Nursing Home Residents With Cognitive Impairment

“…11 Nonpharmacological interventions such as meaningful activities were effective in decreasing some behavioral symptoms of dementia 12,13 ; however, they did not specifically target problematic wandering. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between involvement in meaningful activities, cognition, and wandering behaviors using the MDS data collected from Dutch nursing homes.…”