Dementia: Nondrug Management

Medscape Medical News > Neurology

6 Steps to Nondrug Management of Dementia

Pauline Anderson

Dec 27, 2012

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From existing evidence and their own clinical experience, researchers at Johns Hopkins University have come up with 6 nonpharmacologic steps to better identify and manage behavioral problems in patients with dementia.

Behavioral issues, which can include psychiatric symptoms such as depression, psychosis, apathy, agitation, aggression, delusions, and hallucinations, as well as troubling conduct such as repetitive vocalizations and wandering, are frequently difficult to manage and can both increase the risk for dangerous activities (walking out in traffic, for example) and be hugely stressful for caregivers. Physicians sometimes prescribe atypical antipsychotics to manage difficult behavioral symptoms.

Six nondrug approaches to identifying and managing behavioral problems are summed up in an article by Laura N. Gitlin, PhD, from the Department of Community Public Health, School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, and colleagues. The article was published in the November 21 issue of JAMA.

6 Steps/.../