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 […]

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 […]