dementia care mapping

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Dementia Care: Suggestions for Managing Behavioural Disturbances

Christine A. Fruhauf, PhD, Director and Assistant Professor, Center on Aging, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.

During the past 30 years, health care professionals and caregivers have not only been concerned with neurological aspects of dementia but also with behaviour management of individuals who have dementia. The purpose of this article is to highlight theoretical perspectives and techniques using a case study example for formal caregivers (i.e., nurses, nursing aids, and staff) in formal care settings (i.e., hospitals, long-term care facilities, and adult day centres). The use of these techniques will likely improve dementia care and the lives of both individuals with dementia and their formal caregivers.

Key words: dementia care, person-centred care, dementia care mapping, reframing behaviours.