Dementia management strategies associated with neuropsychiatric symptoms of elderly people with Alzheimer’s disease

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the association between management and communication strategies and the presence of neuropsychiatric symptoms presented by elderly people with Alzheimer’s disease. One hundred and thirty-four family caregivers answered a questionnaire with socio-demographic data and questions regarding the care context, the Small Communication Strategies Scale, the Dementia Management Strategy Scale, and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory. Caregivers used the criticism management strategy more when the elderly presented hallucination, agitation, depression, anxiety, irritability, nighttime behavior, and appetite abnormalities. The encouragement strategy was more significantly used only in the presence of euphoria/elation. The caregivers who used the most active management strategy were those who cared for the elderly with delirium, hallucination, agitation, depression, anxiety, irritability, and appetite and eating abnormalities. The use of communication strategies did not differ between groups with or without neuropsychiatric symptoms. It is concluded that criticism management and active management strategies are strongly associated with neuropsychiatric symptoms. The results of this study may be useful for planning treatment interventions that aim to modify the use of management strategies used by caregivers.