Long-Term Care Dementia, Alzheimer’s Violence: CNA Solutions (Research, Video 3:37)

Dementia is like a fluttering bee. As a hospice volunteer, I never knew when it would make honey or sting. There were times when nursing home residents with dementia were rude or violent. I have seen a resident slap a nurse assistant (CNA) in the face with such force I thought she would fall over. To her credit, the CNA took a deep breath and walked away while another CNA interceded. The resident probably forgot the incident soon afterward. During violent situations involving residents with dementia, caregivers had to protect themselves, restrain a resident if they could, but resist expressing rage and fighting back.

Resident-to-resident violence in nursing homes, unfortunately, is common and may involve victims who are too fragile to protect themselves. Some have even died as a direct result of being physically assaulted. This research on nursing home resident violence explores strategies developed by certified nurse assistants to prevent and manage resident to resident violence in nursing homes. The main theme is "Putting Residents First," a conscious effort by CNAs to put themselves or a beloved family member in the place of the resident while administering care.

Based on interviews and data analysis, the following themes are featured and suggested for formulating strategies for managing and decreasing resident to resident violence through the ability of the CNAs to empathize with the residents in their care. These strategies may provide a foundation for the development and testing of interventions aimed at preventing and managing resident to resident violence in long-term care.

(a) Knowing the Residents

(b) Keeping Residents Safe

(c) Spending Quality Time

In this video, Shirlee Engel reports on how dementia can cause aggression and how many nursing homes struggle to cope.

 

Frances Shani Parker, Author

Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback and e-book editions in America and other countries at online and offline booksellers.
Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog