Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia
Corso di laurea in infermieristica - Sede di Modena
| Thesis Title | Dementia and Aggression: analysis of a clinical case |
|---|---|
| Name | Maini Giulia |
| Supervisor(s) | Cottafavi Katiuscia |
| Academic Year | 2016/17 |
| Thesis type | Non research thesis |
Abstract
Dementia is a pathology of the central nervous system of a chronic and degenerative nature. Today this pathology affects at least 47 million people, destined to become 76 million in less than 15 years. This represents a great challenge for healthcare systems and companies around the world, as well as a burden on families and caregivers. About half of people with dementia also experience aggressive behaviour: aggression involves a further challenge, causing a faster cognitive decline and early institutionalisation, and increasing the burden and the stress of caregiver. The ageing of the population and the increase in cases of dementia make it necessary to address the care strategies more on the non-pharmacological techniques of behavioural management than on drugs or on physical retention. Non-pharmacological treatments, in fact, have the potential to improve the quality of life of patients and caregivers, change the course of the disease and reduce costs.
To elaborate the thesis, an accurate bibliographical research has been conducted on the main search engines using the following key words: DEMENTIA, ALZHEIMER, NURSING, AGGRESSION, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, RETENTION, NON-PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT, BPSD. These concepts were included in the following search engines: PUBMED, NICE, GOOGLE SCHOLAR, RNAO, COCHRANE.
After the analysis of different sources and the practical application of the various non-pharmacological techniques on the clinical case examined, it can be said that non-pharmacological interventions associated with drug-based need-management are effective in treating the aggressive behaviour of dementia patients and improving their quality of life. It is necessary to identify the most appropriate interventions to the characteristics of the person and to combine them with each other in order to personalize more and more the treatment of aggressiveness in dementia.