Behaviors & Unmet Needs – The HPP Resource Center

Category: Behaviors & Unmet Needs

The 5 Main Flaws of Nonpharmacological Interventions (and How to Address Them Without Medication)

This post was excerpted from Dementia Beyond Disease: Enhancing Well-Being by G. Allen Power, M.D. (2017, Health Professions Press) Why Nonpharmacological Interventions Do Not Work This provocative heading may seem out of line for the author of a book called Dementia Beyond Drugs. Rest assured, I remain firmly rooted in the belief that most distress arises as expressions of unmet needs, and that drugs are not the answer. (For a deep dive on this, see Dementia Beyond Drugs: Changing the Culture of Care, Second Edition.) The problem lies not in that underlying philosophy, but…

The Dementia Experience

The Experiential Model of Dementia Care The biomedical model (that is, a mindset of dementia that focuses only on physical and cognitive decline) sees dementia mostly as neuropathology. However, viewing only what can be easily observed and measured is inadequate to our needs. We must ask ourselves: how is dementia experienced by the person with the changing brain? That experience is more than simple structural and chemical defects; many other factors come into play, such as life history, relationships, ethnicity and culture, values, spirituality, interactions, and coping styles. Seeing dementia as a life experience and viewing the world through those…

Validation Q&A with the Authors

Guidance from the Authors on Using Validation Are you currently using the Validation method in your care setting? Do you have questions? Authors of The Validation Breakthrough, Fourth Edition, Naomi Feil and Vicki de Klerk-Rubin, answer some frequently asked questions from people using Validation. New to Validation? Learn more here! I’ve tried Validation, but my client won’t talk with me. Why doesn’t it work? Which Validation techniques did you use? Did you Center and establish the phase of Resolution? If the older adult is in Phase Three, verbal techniques may not work. If your client feels…

Validation FAQs

What is the Validation method? Validation is a method for communicating with older adults who are diagnosed as having Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. It is based on an attitude of respect and empathy for older adults with Alzheimer’s-type dementia who are struggling to resolve unfinished business before they die. Validation suggests a way of classifying the behaviors of these disoriented older adults and offers simple, practical techniques that help them restore dignity and avoid deteriorating into a vegetative state. Caregivers practicing the Validation method become empathetic listeners, who do not judge the person, but accept their view of reality.

The Top 3 Things You Need to Know About Harmful Interactions Between Residents with Dementia

In his book, Understanding and Preventing Harmful Interactions Between Residents with Dementia, Eilon Caspi, Ph.D., has three key things he wants readers to know about this phenomenon. 1. In the vast majority of distressing and harmful resident-to-resident interactions, people living with dementia “fight” with each other in an effort to preserve their dignity. In the words of Joanne Koenig Coste, “Alzheimer’s disease doesn’t take the person’s dignity away. We do.” Next time you notice a resident with dementia engaged in an episode with another resident, observe it carefully, and try to look at it through the lens of…

7 Strategies to Address Racism and Stereotyping in Long-Term Care

Many elders grew up in an era and in regions where racist practices were prevalent and accepted as the norm. Some of these people held racist views from their youth and continue to hold these beliefs throughout their lives, whether they openly express these views in public or suppress them as racism becomes increasingly unaccepted and condemned over the years. When these individuals develop dementia and move into long-term care homes, some may continue to express their long-held racist views toward other residents and direct care partners, especially under distressing day-to-day situations. As Alzheimer’s disease progresses, the cognitive filters that…

5 Solutions to Improve Communication and Reporting

The majority of distressing and harmful resident-to-resident interactions (DHRRIs) remain unreported. Underreporting of these episodes limits direct care partners’ ability to understand the root causes of these behavioral expressions; identify underlying unmet needs, situational frustrations, and triggering events; and anticipate and prevent future incidents. This lack of reporting is important generally but also because many of these behavioral expressions are recurrent. In addition, problems with information transfer between direct care partners, between direct care partners and managers, and between employees from different departments and disciplines is also a persistent problem in many long-term care homes. These communication lapses and breakdowns…

Why We Don’t Call it Resident-to-Resident “Aggression”

Words matter, a lot. Words used to describe elders living with dementia reflect and shape the ways in which they are perceived by direct care partners, which profoundly influences the ways in which they are approached, cared for, and treated. Imagine that you and I are elders with dementia living in a care home. I invade your personal space ten times over a period of 15 minutes. At first you respond politely by asking me to leave the area, but the invasions continue and gradually you lose your patience and become very angry. Direct care partners are not in the…

Caregiver Stress Exercises During COVID-19

It’s critical to manage your own stress so you can keep assisting others. Find the strategy that works for you with these self-care exercises. Mental Imagery You can use this relaxation technique alone or in conjunction with other relaxation techniques. Remember, practicing relaxation techniques for 10-20 minutes per day can be very helpful in managing the negative side effects of stress on your mental and physical heath. Sit or lie down in a comfortable position where you will not be disturbed for 10-20 minutes. Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a pleasant, relaxing place, such as a beach, a…

ADLs: You Would Resist, Too, If It Happened to You

Many elders need help with Activities of Daily Living, commonly known as ADLs. They include dressing, bathing, grooming (hair and nail care, brushing teeth), continence care (also known as toileting), and eating and drinking (nutrition and hydration). These are often considered tasks to be completed, but if seen as opportunities for building relationships, everyone’s satisfaction increases. One of the phrases that is like fingernails on a chalkboard is “resistance to care,” implying that the older adult we intend to help is ungrateful and cranky. Whether or not people have dementia, people say “no”…

1
2
3
Next
Last

Resource Center

Serving Professionals in Aging and Elder Care