Health professionals’ guide to person-centred dementia care
Resources to help you care for people with dementia who are experiencing changed behaviours.
Guidelines for health professionals
- Royal Australian College of General Practitioners: Aged care clinical guide (Silver Book) 5th edition. Part A: Behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia
- Dementia Collaborative Research Centre: Behaviour management – A guide to good practice: Managing behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD)
Identifying and managing changed behaviours
Dementia Training Australia responsive behaviours quick reference cards can be used by health professionals working with people with dementia. They:
- provide guidance on various types of changed behaviours
- consider the triggers of behaviours and
- give suggestions for non-pharmacological strategies to help with managing behaviours.
Dementia Support Australia’s delirium screening resource helps health professionals assess and remove sources of delirium that may be exacerbating changed behaviours.
The person-centred approach to care
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission has developed The Aged Care Quality Standards storyboard showing a person-centred approach to management of changed behaviours in dementia. This has a particular focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Reviewing and tapering antipsychotic medicines
The Australian Government Department of Health ‘6 steps for safe prescribing’ resource is an infographic on best practice management of changed behaviours in people with dementia. It is for people in residential aged care, but the same steps can be applied for people with dementia who are living in the community.
Deprescribing guides for antipsychotics when used for changed behaviours and consumer information leaflets about deprescribing are available on the NSW Therapeutic Advisory Group webpage.
The Canadian deprescribing network offers an antipsychotic deprescribing algorithm which also has suggestions for management including sleep hygiene to help during the tapering process.
Resources for your patients and their families and carers
The Empowered Project provides information about choices, and legal, ethical and human rights to care in dementia, particularly the use of medicines for changed behaviours.
24-hour services for GPs and other health professionals
|
Service name |
Description |
Telephone number |
|
Dementia Behaviour Management Advisory Service |
Supports staff and carers in community, residential aged care, and acute and primary care. This service can provide advice and interventions on a short-term basis. |
1800 699 799 |
|
Severe Behaviour Response Teams |
A mobile workforce including trained dementia care specialists, nurses, allied health and specialist professionals. This service is for people who are experiencing severe behaviours. |
1800 699 799 |