Caregivers' perception of aggressive behavior in cognitively impaired nursing home residents

Aggressive behaviors of nursing home residents represent a significant problem for caregivers and families. A guided interview format was used to collect data from 21 nurses and 20 nursing assistants in order to gather information on the characteristics of aggressive behavior and how it is managed in cognitively impaired nursing home residents. Sixty-eight percent of the caregivers stated the residents were physically aggressive, while 95% cited verbal aggression. Aggression occurred most commonly in the mornings while the caregiver was dressing the resident. Inadequate staffing and new staff were both seen as problems by the caregivers. Talking soothingly and assuring the resident were techniques initially used to comfort the residents. Reasoning with the resident was the most common follow-up procedure used by the caregivers.