Effective behavioral interventions for decreasing dementia-related challenging behavior in nursing homes

This paper provides a selective review of behavioral intervention research aimed at successfully decreasing dementia-related challenging behaviors in nursing homes. The authors include separate discussions of behavioral exces ses (disruptive vocalization, wandering, physical and verbal aggression) an d deficits (excess dependency, therapeutic activities, social interaction/c ommunication). Descriptions of interventions used to address each behavior problem are followed by methodological evaluations of the research. Discuss ions are augmented by inclusion of the authors' ongoing intervention resear ch. The paper concludes with a description of a comprehensive program for t eaching behavior management skills to nurse aides and a motivational system for maintaining the performance of these skills over the long term. Copyri ght (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.