‘Distraction’ techniques as first-line treatments to manage dementia-related behaviours in care homes

Tamara Backhouse is a senior research associate at the University of East Anglia. In this blog, she discusses her recent co-authored Age and Ageing paper on the use of non-pharmacological interventions for dementia-related behaviours in care homes.

Dementia-related behaviours such as, aggression, agitation, anxiety, wandering and delusions are common. They can be distressing for individuals with dementia and create challenges for those caring for them. Many care-home residents with dementia experience these behaviours frequently. Non-pharmacological interventions (such as, music therapy, animal-assisted therapy, massage and aromatherapy) have been recommended as first-line treatments for dementia-related behaviours. However little is known about the day-to-day use of these interventions in care homes. We explored if, and how, non-pharmacological interventions were being used in care homes to manage dementia-related behaviours.