DSCUs: a study of behavior before and after residence

1. Environmental design, family involvement, consistent routines and activity programs designed to meet the special needs of persons with dementia are hallmarks of most dementia programs. There is a lack of research to support the usefulness of Dementia Specific Care Units (DSCUs) for residents of long-term care facilities that have irreversible dementia. 2. A specialized 24-bed DSCU was designed for those residents with cognitive impairment who would benefit from enhanced programming, and controlled and balanced environmental stimulation. 3. Assessments of residents' behavior and need for physical and chemical restraints were done one month prior to and two months after the opening of a DSCU. Of the 8 behaviors measured, 7 showed improvement and paired t-tests revealed this to be a statistically significant difference. 4. Even though causal claims cannot be made, the results strongly demonstrate an improvement in behaviors associated with dementia from pre- to post-measurement. There is a need for units to become increasingly able to meet the specialized needs of clients.