Hello everyone, Halloween is fast approaching (Thursday this week!), so we thought now would be a good time to address the fears that some of your residents may have about walking, falling and exercise. For people with dementia, a lack of physical activity can lead to a further decline in function and overall health, so […]
Tag: Pain
If at first you don’t succeed…
Hello everyone, If at first you don’t succeed…well, you know the rest: Try, try again! How often do we ask residents to join us for exercise class or another activity, have them say “no”, and we say “ok” and move on to the next person. Then after a few no thank-you’s from them, we give […]
Use your Sleuthing Skills for the Second Step of the DICE Model
Hello everyone, In last week’s tidbit, we discussed the DICE process for assessing and managing behavioral issues in residents with BPSD. We focused on the “D”—describing a resident’s behavior with specific details that provide important clues about the cause of the behavior. This week we focus on the “I”—Investigate. Once we have a detailed description of […]
Detecting Delirium
Hello everyone, Dementia and old age are the strongest risk factors for delirium, a condition of acute confusion and rapid changes in brain function. It is important to distinguish delirium from behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, as delirium is a medical emergency that should be addressed immediately by the healthcare team. Delirium typically involves […]
Tips to Manage Sundowning
Hello everyone, “‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse…” But perhaps, some your residents are? People with dementia often struggle with restlessness, agitation, irritability or confusion that can begin or worsen in late afternoon and early evening, and can continue into the night. Commonly […]
Promoting Positive Interactions
Hello Everyone, In addition to the information we provided about inappropriate sexual behavior in last week’s tidbit, Dr. Elizabeth Galik, one of the investigators on our study, has written an article on this topic for Bottom Line Health. You can read it online here: https://bottomlineinc.com/health/memory/dementia-and-inappropriate-sexual-behavior This week, we’d like to discuss how to approach a […]
Evidence-based strategies for pain reduction and a DICE suggestion from a community care partner
Hi everyone, First off, thank you to Stella Maris of MD for sharing this great example of DICE with us: D- Resident urinating in a cup in the dining room and on the floor in the corner of his room. I- Resident is a retired truck driver and would urinate in empty bottles/ cups in […]
Holler if it hurts? Strategies for identifying & assessing pain in people with dementia
Hello everyone, Much research has shown that people with dementia are at an increased risk for having their pain under-assessed and under-treated, leading to serious physical and psychosocial consequences including: Gait impairment (leading to increased fall risk) Decreased appetite Sleep disturbances Agitation Physical combativeness Wandering Decrease in daily activities Impaired cognition Verbal aggression Depression Social […]
Best practice: Fall risk reduction
Falling is an ever-present concern and challenge for nursing homes, and falls at home is often the reason why family members decide to move their loved one to a nursing facility. Too often, however, staff and residents’ fear of falling can lead to a vicious cycle: An ambulatory resident falls and gets hurt. The resident […]
Reducing resistance to care
Resisting care, sometimes called combative with care, is a common behavior that is different from agitation or aggression. A person who is resisting care may pull away, attempt to leave or become agitated or aggressive during care activities. An example of a person resisting care may be saying “stop that, leave me alone!” and pulling […]