Identification and Treatment of Agitation in Nursing Home Settings: Applying the IPA Algorithm

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AbstractBackgroundWith an estimated prevalence of 55%, agitation is particularly common among nursing home residents. The recent International Psychogeriatric Association (IPA) agitation treatment algorithm describes steps for the identification and treatment of agitation across multiple care settings.MethodThis abstract describes the application of the IPA algorithm to the long‐term care (LTC) setting.ResultIn the IPA algorithm, nonpharmacologic care is considered first and continued for both treatment and prevention. In LTC residents, nonpharmacologic interventions are a key first step. For agitation in nursing home residents with dementia, the current evidence suggests that group activity based interventions (e.g., recreation therapy), resident interventions (e.g., massage and touch therapy, and music therapy) and multidisciplinary training and care (e.g., person‐centred care) are the most consistently effective nonpharmacologic treatments. There are several caveats that may impact efficacy of interventions. Feasibility and scalability considerations may impact implementation of nonpharmacologic interventions in long‐term care settings. Most interventions require training, implementation, or supervision by external specialized staff. Feasibility of interventions may also be limited by the capabilities of individuals with dementia; sensory impairments and physical disabilities may preclude some residents from participating in interventions such as music therapy or exercise. As such, interventions must be personalized. Data also show that nonpharmacologic interventions that modify the environment or stimulate the senses may be effective for different aspects of agitation in LTC residents with dementia. Pharmacologic care is personalized and guided by the major features of the agitation including when it occurs, severity and whether it represents a danger to self or others. Importantly, recent efforts have evaluated multi‐modal interventions in LTC. Taken in toto, literature to date provides evidence for use of the above mentioned nonpharmacological interventions for mild agitation in long‐term care facilities. Implementing these interventions requires assessment of medical and environmental causes for agitation, ongoing nonpharmacologic intervention and then pharmacologic interventions as necessary.ConclusionFuture studies should continue to investigate the long‐term effects of multi‐modal nonpharmacological interventions, alone and in combination with pharmacologic interventions in participants with severe agitation.