Entering the world of dementia: CNA interventions for nursing home residents

People who have Alzheimer's disease (AD) often reside in nursing homes and frequently exhibit the behaviors of agitation, aggression, screaming, wandering, and repetitive actions (Beck, Heacock, Rapp, & Shue, 1993). Beck et al. (1993) revealed 30% to 95% of nursing home residents exhibited aggressive behaviors that may contribute to the overall decline of the residents. Some of the negative outcomes for these behaviors include: Exhaustion from wandering or repetitive behaviors. Social isolation. Wandering to a dangerous place. Hitting or provoking someone to hit back. (Beck, Heacock, Rapp, & Shue, 1994; Gerdner, Hall, & Buckwalter, 1996). Close observation of the clinical practice of Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) has revealed some CNAs intuitively provide care in ways that minimize behaviors such as agitation and aggression. However, a review of the literature failed to reveal information regarding how CNAs intervene in the behaviors of elderly residents exhibiting dementia. This gap between practice and research was the impetus for this study.