Project Researchers Prof. Henry Brodaty AO, Dr. Tiffany Jessop, Dr. Claire Burley, Kim Burns
Partners
Program Overview:
Most people living with dementia will experience changed Behaviours and Psychological Symptoms associated with dementia (BPSD), also referred to as responsive behaviours, changed behaviours and neuropsychiatric symptoms at some stage during their illness. These terms encompass a broad range of symptoms including aggression, agitation, sleep disturbance, anxiety, apathy, depression, psychotic symptoms and wandering.
Despite accumulating evidence that BPSD can be prevented from occurring or escalating using non-pharmacological approaches, these evidence-based strategies are not currently being widely adopted. Many people with dementia are inappropriately prescribed psychotropic medicines. Person-Centred Care is the exception rather than the rule across care settings but particularly in acute and residential care. The Australian Clinical Practice Guidelines for Dementia in Australia provide standards against which benchmarking can occur. Culture change can only be achieved through partnership between researchers, service providers, clinicians and policy makers.
The DCRC has developed unique expertise and clinical networks in the area of BPSD care and compiled a highly successful Guide to Good Practice Managing BPSD in print, online and App formats and one of the current aims of the Flagship is to update these resources. Additionally, as part of the 2018-2021 Flagship activities, we plan to disseminate a BPSD guide for clinicians working with the LGBTIQ community which we have completed and have plans for language-friendly guides for CALD communities.
Better understanding of and improvement in identification, assessment and care practices for BPSD in Australia will result in more highly skilled aged care and health providers. This, in turn, will result in better quality of life for people with dementia and their families and long-term cost benefits.
There is a large body of evidence for how to provide quality care for people experiencing BPSD. The challenge is how to translate this knowledge into practice. The objective of this Flagship Program is to establish feasible, economical and generalisable strategies to make this business as usual in all care settings, primary, community, acute and residential. To achieve this aim we will support projects implementing or evaluating sustainable programs for promoting best practice in caring for people experiencing BPSD or aiming to change the culture of care in primary, community, acute or residential care to reduce or ameliorate BPSD. Current evidence gaps such as projects targeting special needs groups e.g. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, rural/remote and LGBTI communities will be sought after and we will work to synthesise all data and work with service providers and policy makers to make Person-Centred Care business as usual across all communities and settings.
Find out more about the Behaviours and psychological symptoms associated with dementia (BPSD):
Special Interest Group (SIG)
Resources to support the management of behaviours and psychological symptoms associated with dementia (BPSD):
Clinician’s Field Guide to Good Practice (Behaviours & Psychological Symptoms of Dementia)
The Clinician’s Field Guide is a ‘travel size’ hands-on summary of the original and comprehensive document Behaviour Management: A Guide to Good Practice, Managing Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD). This smaller guide for clinicians provides easy access to key messages, BPSD descriptions, potential causes and brief clinical scenarios to guide assessment and management strategies.
A Guide for Family Carers
A Guide for Family Carers is a ‘travel size’ adapted summary of the original DBMAS Behaviour Management Guide to Good Practice. This Guide is for family carers supporting a person with dementia. It includes practical information about how to deal with behaviours and psychological symptoms associated with dementia (BPSD)*
Behaviour Management: A Guide to Good Practice (BPSD Guide)
The document Behaviour Management: A Guide to Good Practice, Managing Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) is a comprehensive overview of evidence and practice-based management principles for BPSD*. This resource is designed for clinicians with a role in caring for people with dementia in residential aged care facilities (RACFs), community care and acute care settings. The BPSD Guide provides guidance for clinicians supporting family members and carers as well as RACF and community care staff caring for people with dementia who present with BPSD.
Posters for Remote Aboriginal Communities – Behaviours and Psychological Symptoms associated with Dementia
The BPSD Posters for Remote Aboriginal Communities are a set of posters based on the principles outlined in the document Behaviour Management – A Guide to Good Practice: Managing Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD). The posters were developed in collaboration with the Dementia Behaviour Management Advisory Service, Northern Territory (DBMAS NT) and other expert clinicians to support a series of BPSD videos developed by DBMAS NT.
Webinar: Symposium 1 – Changed Behaviours – Fri 18 June 2021
Presented by DCRC & DTA
Disinhibited behaviours are actions which seem tactless, rude or even offensive. They occur when a person’s words and/or actions don’t follow the generally understood social rules about what or where to say or do something.
Recorded Friday 18 June, 2021
Presented by Dementia Centre for Research Collaboration (DCRC) & Dementia Training Australia (DTA)
Running Time: 2:22
Dementia Outcomes Measurement Suite (DOMS)
The Dementia Outcomes Measurement Suite or DOMS is a compendium of validated tools for the assessment of various aspects of dementia by health care professionals. The DOMS project was originally commissioned under the Australian government’s National Dementia Initiative, and was designed to develop a standard suite of instruments that would be promulgated throughout Australia to encourage clinicians to ‘talk the same language’ by using the same instruments as much as possible.
DTA’s Responsive Behaviour App
Dementia Training Australia’s (DTA) Responsive Behaviours App is an on-the-spot reference point for health professionals and care staff working with people with dementia. Underpinned by a person-centred approach, this app will help you look up common responsive behaviours, find approaches to help you problem solve, address responsive behaviours and help prevent them. THE APP INCLUDES: […]
Webinar: Day 2 – Anxiety and Depression in Dementia Research Network (ADDResearch)
In November 2020 two DCRC online symposia took place for people interested in dementia research on improving care and reducing changed behaviours and psychological symptoms associated with dementia.
The aims of Day 2 of the symposia were to launch the new ‘Anxiety and Depression in Dementia Research Network (ADDResearch)’ and the focus was on research into anxiety and depression in dementia. This network is a collaboration between UNSW Sydney and the University of Queensland and is co-led by Drs Claire Burley and Nadeeka Dissanayaka.
Recorded Wednesday, 11 November 2020
Presented by Dementia Centre for Research Collaboration (DCRC) & University of Queensland
Running Time: 02:30:00
Webinar: Day 1 – Changed behaviours and psychological symptoms associated with dementia
In November 2020 two DCRC online symposia took place for people interested in dementia research on improving care and reducing changed behaviours and psychological symptoms associated with dementia.
The aims of Day 1 of the symposia were to discuss research activities involving changed behaviours and/or psychological symptoms associated with dementia and care for people living with dementia. This event forms part of the special interest group led by Dr Claire Burley
Recorded Wednesday, 4 November 2020
Presented by Dementia Centre for Research Collaboration (DCRC)
Running Time: 02:30:00
Webinar: Understanding Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia and Antipsychotic Medications
How to understand, prevent, and remedy Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD). This video is a webinar originally recorded for the HALT project as part of an accredited educational activity for GPs.
Recorded June 2016
Presenter: Professor Henry Brodaty
Running Time: 90 minutes
Behaviour and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia Guide for Clinicians App (currently unavailable)
An app developed to provide guidance for clinicians in their role of assisting residential aged care facility staff, community care staff and family members caring for persons living with dementia, who present with behavioural and psychological symptoms. This App provides summary information relevant to the most commonly presenting behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD): […]
Care4Dementia App (currently unavailable)
This App was developed to provide information and support for carers in their role of caring for persons with behavioural changes that can occur in dementia. Information on what these behaviours look like, why they might be happening and what you can do to help is included for those most commonly reported by carers. Understanding why behavioural changes are occurring can help to manage the behaviour.