Programs to Manage Aggressive Behaviour in Long-Term Care Patients: A Review of Clinical-Effectiveness, Cost-Effectiveness, and Guidelines

In response to concerns from nursing staff in LTC facilities about physical aggression, and the wish to minimize the use of physical and pharmacological restraints, some LTC facilities want to train their nursing staff to deal with potentially aggressive patients in a manner which decreases or averts the physical aggressiveness without use of restraints.

This report from the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technology in Health summarizes and appraises the evidence for programs to reduce aggression.

http://www.cadth.ca/media/pdf/L0089_Programs_Manage_Aggressive_Behaviour_in_Long-Term_Care_Patients_final.pdf

Caring for Nursing Home Residents With Behavioural Symptoms: Information to Support a Quality Response

Almost half the residents at several nursing homes in Nova Scotia exhibited aggressive behaviour that ranged from outright violence to resisting help, according to a new study that buttresses concerns over the risks care-providers face on the job.

The report, released Thursday by the Canadian Institute of Health Information, also showed that many of the behaviours were linked to a handful of health conditions, including dementia, delirium and depression among the elderly.

http://secure.cihi.ca/cihiweb/products/ccrs_aib_aggressive_behaviour_e.pdf