IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/clnure/v7y1998i2p189-206.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Probable Reasons for Expressed Agitation in Persons with Dementia

Author

Listed:
  • Hans Ragneskog

    (The Göteborg University)

  • Linda A. Gerdner

    (University of Iowa)

  • Karin Josefsson

    (Orebro Medical Center Hospital)

  • Mona Kihlgren

    (Orebro Medical Center Hospital)

Abstract

Nursing home patients with dementia were videotaped in three previous studies. Sixty sequences of nine patients exhibiting agitated behaviors were examined to identify the most probable antecedents to agitation. Probable reasons were interpreted and applied to the Progressively Lowered Stress Threshold model, which suggests that agitation is stress related. Analysis suggests that agitation often serves as form of communication. Two underlying reasons seem to be that the patient had loss of control over the situation and deficient autonomy. The most common causes for expressed agitation were interpreted as discomfort, a wish to be served immediately, conflict between patients or with nursing staff, reactions to environmental noises or sound, and invasion of personal space. It is recommended that nursing staff promote autonomy and independency for this group of patients whenever possible. By evaluating probable reasons for expressed agitation, the nursing staff can take steps to prevent or alleviate agitation.

Suggested Citation

  • Hans Ragneskog & Linda A. Gerdner & Karin Josefsson & Mona Kihlgren, 1998. "Probable Reasons for Expressed Agitation in Persons with Dementia," Clinical Nursing Research, , vol. 7(2), pages 189-206, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:clnure:v:7:y:1998:i:2:p:189-206
    DOI: 10.1177/105477389800700207
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/105477389800700207
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/105477389800700207?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:clnure:v:7:y:1998:i:2:p:189-206. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.