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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| Assessment of agitation | | Author(s) | Jiska Cohen-Mansfield |
| Journal title | International Psychogeriatrics, vol 8, no 2, Summer 1996 |
| Pages | pp 233-245 |
| Keywords | Aggression ; Communication difficulties ; Behaviour disorders ; Dementia ; Drugs ; Evaluation. |
| Annotation | Agitation is inappropriate verbal, vocal, or motor activity, which is common among older people with dementia. Its assessment is complicated both by communication difficulties and by the complexity of the manifested behaviours. Three general approaches are used to assess agitation: informant ratings, observational methods, and technological devices. Within each category, several assessment instruments exist. The approaches differ as to time sampling, objectivity, and cost. Assessment of agitation in pharmacological studies should include consideration of the specific meaning to the agitated behaviour for the older person and for the caregiver, along with an evaluation of the consequences of the behaviour. At times, the agitated behaviour seems to signal a specific need, and alternative methods for fulfilling that need should be considered. Evaluation studies of pharmacological agents should include consideration of the impact of these agents on non-target behaviours, as well as an awareness of the large intra-person and inter-person variability in agitated behaviours. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-980303258 A |
| Classmark | EPB: EC: EP: EA: LLD: 4C |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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