How do you deal with challenging behaviors in this population and is the nursing staff responsive to your suggestions?
Answer
As the course just outlined there are many ways to deal with challenging behaviors. One of the most important ways is to establish specific routines based on your observations of how the client responds to specific stimuli. If Mrs. Smith gets very agitated during the dinner hour, a good routine for her might be to sit in a quiet area with some soft music. This might facilitate her eating, while decreasing her agitation.
Sometimes the nursing staff is very accepting of this type of strategy and is very client centered in their approach. Others may need to be shown the strategies that you are recommending, and once they see the difference they can make, they are usually supportive as well.
Establishing routines based on the individual's needs is a good strategy to use anywhere when dealing with dementia.
Michelle Hediger, M.S., OTR/L
Michelle is an Occupational Therapist who currently is responsible for clinical program development and special projects for a large contract rehab provider. Prior to this role, she has held regional operations positions providing management oversight for post-acute rehab and assisted living settings. She has nearly 15 years experience as an Occupational Therapist across a variety of settings including skilled nursing, assisted and independent living, mental health and school based therapy. Her clinical areas of expertise include management and leadership, long term care programming and wellness program design and implementation. She spent four years as an Assistant Professor and Academic Fieldwork Coordinator at Suffolk County Community College, New York. She is an experienced program developer who has produced and presented training courses for healthcare professionals with a variety of backgrounds, including therapists, nurses, social work and long term care administrators. Her expertise in Geriatric management and education has led her to expand rehab teams and build innovative therapy programs across the geriatric care continuum.
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