Behavioral disturbances in the Alzheimer's care units: A six-months observation

There is a growing interest in the behavioral disturbances in the Alzheimer Care Units (ACU). Several evidences suggest that also the non-pharmacologi cal treatments may improve the behavioral disturbances in patients affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aim of the study was to evaluate the long ter m behavioral modifications in subjects institutionalized in ACU. The resear ch was performed on 30 patients (mean age 76.5 +/- 6.6 years) affected by p robable AD. The mini mental state examination (MMSE) and the severe impairm ent battery (SIB) were used to evaluate the cognitive functions. The functi onal status was evaluated with the spontaneous behavior interview (SBI). Th e behavioral disturbances were evaluated using the neuropsychiatric invento ry (NPI). After a six-month period in the ACU, a significant decrease in th e frequency and severity of behavioral symptoms was observed. The patients who entered the study didn't need to increase the number of psychotropic dr ugs or their doses. Our results are underlining the possible strong positiv e interference of the background features on the behavioral disturbances, i ndependently from the clinical characteristics of the patient and the psych opharmacological treatments. A possible explanation for these findings rise s from some new methods of working and from the environmental modifications introduced in the two ACU.