Staff of an adult day treatment facility reported that a client diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease was exhibiting physical and verbal aggression toward other clients. Direct observation of the client's interactions at the adult day treatment facility revealed that she was neither physically nor verbally abusive but was assertive and used a cane to access social attention. Treatment consisted of three in-service trainings during which staff received information about the symptomatology of dementia, environmental factors contributing to excess disability, and the importance of environmental support for maintaining adaptive behavior in persons with dementia. Results indicate that staff perceived verbal behavior less negatively, and allowed the client to interact with others at a significantly increased frequency.
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