Nonpharmacological management of agitation in hospitalized patients: a pilot study.
This article reports on the use of Simple Pleasures interventions to minimize agitation in hospitalized patients with late-stage dementia. The pilot project was not able to demonstrate statistical significance; however, the positive response to the education and provision of interventions has led to a hospital-wide dissemination of the interventions in the form of an activity box. No adverse effects of the interventions were found, and some patients experienced a significant decrease in agitation and use of sedative medications after exposure to the interventions. Hospital lengths of stay were shorter than expected and may also have been influenced by the intervention.
Maine Medical Center, Department of Geriatrics, 22 Bramhall, Portland, ME 04102, USA. wiermh@mmc.org.
Heidi R
HR
Wierman
W Ross
WR
Wadland
Megan
M
Walters
Celine
C
Kuhn
Stacey
S
Farrington
D003704:Dementia; D006801:Humans; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011595:Psychomotor Agitation / Q000188:drug therapy