ABSTRACT
This case illustrates how treatment with divalproex sodium, an agent approved for use as an anticonvulsant and mood stabilizer, led to a reduction in overt aggression, diminished impulsivity, and improved functional status in a patient with vascular dementia. Improved receptivity to care and reduced hostility also led to an increased quality of life for the family caregivers. The daughter also benefited greatly from participation in a family support group.
Subject(s)
Aggression/drug effects , Antimanic Agents/therapeutic use , Dementia, Vascular/complications , Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders/drug therapy , Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders/etiology , Valproic Acid/therapeutic use , Aged , Female , HumansSubject(s)
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychology , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/therapy , Terrorism/psychology , Acute Disease , Adaptation, Psychological , Aged , Antidepressive Agents/administration & dosage , Anxiety/psychology , Anxiety/therapy , Chronic Disease , Combined Modality Therapy , Emigration and Immigration , Female , Humans , New York City , Prognosis , Psychotherapy/methods , Stress, Psychological/psychology , Stress, Psychological/therapy , WarfareSubject(s)
Analgesics, Opioid/adverse effects , Paroxetine/adverse effects , Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors/adverse effects , Tramadol/adverse effects , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation/adverse effects , Autonomic Nervous System Diseases/chemically induced , Central Nervous System Diseases/chemically induced , Depression/drug therapy , Drug Interactions , Female , Humans , Pain/drug therapy , SyndromeABSTRACT
Elderly nursing home residents face the challenge of coping with the loss of independence, reduced physical abilities, feelings of isolation, anxiety, depression, and helplessness. Maintaining one's integrity within the nursing home is a challenge easily lost. Issues of coping with disability, change in body image, the promotion of self-empowerment, and autonomy are critical to preserving the personhood of a nursing home resident. Current emphasis on the management of behavior has focused entirely on the control of disruption rather than the promotion of resident strengths and abilities. We developed a group therapy program designed to enhance self-awareness, self-esteem, and body awareness among the demented elderly. Techniques of meditation, relaxation, sensory awareness and guided imagery were introduced and reinforced. This group is easily reproducible and offers benefits to both residents and interdisciplinary staff.
Subject(s)
Dementia/psychology , Homes for the Aged , Nursing Homes , Psychotherapy, Group/methods , Social Behavior Disorders/rehabilitation , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Humans , Internal-External Control , MaleABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA-87) included provisions for regulating the use of psychotropic medication, particularly antipsychotics, in long-term-care facilities. The study examined the effect of OBRA-87 on patterns of prescribing of psychotropic medication in a 514-bed nursing home affiliated with a large medical school. METHODS: Computerized pharmacy records for the ten-year period from March 1984 through July 1994 were retrospectively reviewed to identify orders written for psychotropic medications and to determine the percentage of nursing home residents who received prescriptions for those agents and the average daily dose of the most frequently prescribed agents. RESULTS: During the period before implementation of the regulations, the percentages of residents who received antidepressants, anxiolytic and sedative-hypnotic medications, and antipsychotic medications were stable. After implementation, prescription of antidepressants increased significantly, coinciding with a reduction in prescription of anxiolytics and sedative-hypnotics and a substantial decrease in prescription of antipsychotics. The total number of residents who received any type of psychotropic medication decreased, and over time a trend toward prescription of agents recommended for geriatric use, such as short-acting benzodiazepines and tertiary tricyclic antidepressants, emerged. CONCLUSIONS: The changes that resulted from the OBRA-87 regulations reffect both the restrictions placed on classes of medication and the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in the nursing home. In this facility, OBRA-87 appears to have served as an impetus for clinical review and change in practice style.
