Managing dementia agitation in residential aged care

Agitation is a widespread and challenging problem among aged care residents with dementia. This article draws on empirical and theoretical literature to propose a model for preventing and treating agitation non-pharmacologically. A literature review finds agreed, coherent definition and measurement...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Dementia (London, England) England), 2011-08, Vol.10 (3), p.299-315
Main Authors: Bidewell, John W., Chang, Esther
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Decision Making
Evidence Based Practice
Physicians
Quality of Health Care
Senility
Treatment Methods
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Summary:Agitation is a widespread and challenging problem among aged care residents with dementia. This article draws on empirical and theoretical literature to propose a model for preventing and treating agitation non-pharmacologically. A literature review finds agreed, coherent definition and measurement of agitation to be absent despite numerous agitation remedies having been suggested, yet sufficient material to support evidence-based care planning. Agitation is revealed as resulting from a resident’s interactions with the environment or their internal state, giving rise to unmet needs that attentive care can treat. Agitation treatments are reviewed to find no single effective remedy and a lack of quality evaluation. A higher-order, problem-solving approach is proposed. The described system consists of sequential diagnosis, decision making and treatment options, commencing with individualized and institutional preventative measures removing environmental triggers, followed by individual remediation, with residents’ unmet needs receiving priority consistent with patient-centred care.
ISSN:1471-3012
1741-2684
DOI:10.1177/1471301211407789