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Dementia related aggression in the acute sector: is a Code Black really the answer?
Jacqueline Jones1, Sally Borbasi, Alan Nankivell
1Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, Hamilton, and School of Nursing and Midwifery, Griffith University, Meadowbrook, Queensland, and Joanna Briggs Institute, Royal Adelaide Hospital, North Terrace, Australia.
Contemporary Nurse
|April 6, 2006
Summary
Hospitalized dementia patients often exhibit challenging behaviors due to unprepared staff and a lack of dementia-friendly environments. Improving care requires a multifactorial approach and better staff education to reduce the need for patient restraint.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Healthcare Management
- Nursing
Background:
- Dementia patient admissions to acute care are rising across specialties.
- Existing acute care settings are often ill-equipped for dementia patient needs.
- Healthcare professionals require a deeper understanding of dementia care challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the experiences of multiprofessional healthcare staff caring for inpatients with dementia.
- To identify challenges and tensions in acute care settings for dementia patients.
- To inform strategies for improving dementia care in hospitals.
Main Methods:
- Descriptive exploratory study design.
- Data collected from 25 health professionals in three South Australian acute care hospitals.
- Focus on regular care providers for inpatients with concurrent dementia.
Main Results:
- Dementia patients display frailty, dependency, and unpredictable behaviors.
- Acute care environments are often resource-deficient for effective dementia care.
- Patient behaviors create significant challenges for healthcare staff.
Conclusions:
- Many healthcare staff are unprepared to meet the needs of hospitalized dementia patients.
- The acute care environment can exacerbate confusion, agitation, and aggression in dementia patients.
- A multifactorial, 'dementia-friendly' approach supported by education is crucial for better care and reduced restraint use.
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