Managing behaviour that challenges in people with dementia in the emergency department

Dementia symptoms can manifest in a variety of ways, such as anxiety, agitation and an inability to communicate unmet needs. In emergency departments (EDs), these symptoms, as well as various environmental factors, can lead to behaviour that challenges in people with dementia. Therefore, ED staff must be skilled in screening, assessing and managing this patient group effectively. This article details a literature review that was conducted to explore the evidence on managing behaviour that challenges in people with dementia in the ED and what de-escalation strategies may be useful. A literature search of eight databases was undertaken, resulting in 11 articles that were included in this literature review. Four main themes were identified: violence and aggression towards staff; manual and chemical restraint in the ED; identifying delirium and dementia; and environment and person-centred care. Strategies identified to de-escalate and reduce the risk of behaviour that challenges include: making environmental modifications to the ED; providing person-centred care; excluding or evaluating pain and unmet needs; using various tools and strategies to improve communication; and using distraction techniques.