Managing aggressive elderly in long-term care

1. Patients in long-term care perceived themselves to have more control over their socialization activities than over physical activities of daily living. 2. Patient's perceived control over physical activities was related to their degree of functional ability. However, functionally independent patients perceived themselves to have little control over eating and bathing. 3. Perceived control was not found to be a significant factor influencing aggressive behavior in this study. It is recommended that patients' mental status be included as a variable in future studies. 4. Nurses in long-term care need to institute nursing interventions that encourage patients' choices in basic activities of daily living.