title: Behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia and their management in care homes within the East of England: a postal survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of antipsychotic use in care homes. To explore which behaviours care home staff can find difficult to manage and which non-pharmacological interventions are currently used within care homes to help cope with behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A postal survey sent to all care homes registered as specialising in the care of older people or/and older people with dementia within four counties in the East of England (n = 747).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Questionnaires were returned from 299 care home managers (40%). The vast majority (n = 200, 73%) reported having at least one resident with an antipsychotic prescription in their home. Twelve percent (n = 1027) of care home residents were reported to be prescribed antipsychotic medications. Aggression was most frequently reported, by 37% (n = 109) of care home managers, as a difficult behaviour to manage. Non-pharmacological interventions were reported to be used in 87% (n = 253) of care homes. The interventions most commonly used in care homes to manage difficult behaviours were reminiscence (75%, n = 219) and music therapy (73%, n = 213).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This survey was a first attempt to estimate the use of antipsychotics in care homes. Despite measures to reduce antipsychotic use for all people with dementia in England, we found that 12% of care home residents were still prescribed antipsychotic medication. Around half of all care home managers reported they had experienced behaviours they found difficult. Antipsychotic medications and a variety of non-pharmacological interventions appear to be used concurrently in many care homes.
authors.affiliation: a School of Rehabilitation Sciences , University of East Anglia , Norwich , United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Backhouse
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Killett
authors.forename: Bridget
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Penhale
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gray
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods; D003704:Dementia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D004739:England; D006707:Homes for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents