title: What is known about dementia care recipient violence and aggression against caregivers?
abstract: Aggression is a known behavior in dementia, but there is little in the literature about risk to home-based caregivers in situations where severe aggression is present. This article examines this issue with a focus on what is known and where further research is needed. Rates of severe aggression by dementia care recipients against caregivers are estimated at greater than 20%, and may be the strongest predictor of nursing home placement. Measures containing both assessment of behavior and objective measures of caregiver trauma are needed, along with interventions aimed at educating and protecting caregivers while respecting communicative properties of behavior.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry , University of Michigan Medical School , Ann Arbor , Michigan , USA.
authors.forename: Tracy C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Wharton
authors.forename: Bryan K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Ford
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D001526:Behavioral Symptoms / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D006701:Home Nursing / Q000523:psychology; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D007326:Institutionalization; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009735:Nursing Homes; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D014481:United States; D014754:Violence / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology
keywords: aggression; caregiving; dementia; quality of life; violence