A Study on Aggressive Behavior Among Nursing Home Residents with Cognitive Impairment

Abstract

Aggressive behavior among cognitively impaired nursing home residents is prevalent thus needs to be prevented and reduced. Along with environmental modification, educational programs for nursing staff and family caregivers need to be developed and implemented so that they can have extensive knowledge and skills to manage aggressive behaviors.

Pain Assessment as Intervention

“…Resident pain can lead to patient disruptive and aggressive behavior, [39][40][41] which could lead to caregiver stress and burnout. 42,43 Moreover, as the detection of pain in the nursing home can be difficult, nurses and other staff members experience uncertainty about the treatment needs of each resident.…”

Analgesic Intake, Cognitive Functioning, and Disruptive Behaviors in Elderly People With Cognitive Impairment

“…3 Other studies found that aggressive nursing home residents with CI had more pain than nonaggressive residents with CI. 4 Another study found that an increase in physically and verbally aggressive behaviors was associated with a decline in cognitive functioning over a 2-year period, 5 and significant associations between cognitive functioning and disruptive behaviors have also been observed in other studies. 6 Thus, it is possible that untreated pain and cognitive impairment are both underlying causes of disruptive behaviors.…”

Dealing with aggressive behaviour in nursing homes: caregivers’ use of recommended measures

“…Oh et al . () compared aggressive with nonaggressive residents and found that aggressive residents had significantly more cognitive impairment and more pain and had stayed longer in the nursing home than nonaggressive residents.…”

“…Several studies found that residents with a cognitive impairment show more aggressive behaviour (Talerico et al 2002, Voyer et al 2005, Testad et al 2007). Oh et al (2004) compared aggressive with nonaggressive residents and found that aggressive residents had significantly more cognitive impairment and more pain and had stayed longer in the nursing home than nonaggressive residents.…”