Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia: How Long Does Every Behavior Last, and Are Particular Behaviors Associated With PRN Antipsychotic Agent Use?
Authors: Voyer Philippe , McCusker Jane , Cole Martin G. , Monette Johanne , Champoux Nathalie , Ciampi Antonio , Belzile Eric , Richard Hélène 
Published: November 2014

How to Obtain Contact Hours by Reading This Article

Instructions

1.4
contact hours will be awarded by Villanova University College of Nursing upon successful completion of this activity. A contact hour is a unit of measurement that denotes 60 minutes of an organized learning activity. This is a learner-based activity. Villanova University College of Nursing does not require submission of your answers to the quiz. A contact hour certificate will be awarded once you register, pay the registration fee, and complete the evaluation form online at
http://goo.gl/gMfXaf
. To obtain contact hours you must:

1.
Read the article, “Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia: How Long Does Every Behavior Last, and Are Particular Behaviors Associated With PRN Antipsychotic Agent Use?” found on pages 22–37, carefully noting any tables and other illustrative materials that are included to enhance your knowledge and understanding of the content. Be sure to keep track of the amount of time (number of minutes) you spend reading the article and completing the quiz.

2.
Read and answer each question on the quiz. After completing all of the questions, compare your answers to those provided within this issue. If you have incorrect answers, return to the article for further study.

3.
Go to the Villanova website listed above to register for contact hour credit. You will be asked to provide your name; contact information; and a VISA, MasterCard, or Discover card number for payment of the $20.00 fee. Once you complete the online evaluation, a certificate will be automatically generated.

This activity is valid for continuing education credit until December 31, 2017.

Contact Hours
This activity is co-provided by Villanova University College of Nursing and SLACK Incorporated.
Villanova University College of Nursing is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

Activity Objectives

1.
Review the findings of a study designed to explore the course of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) in long-term care patients over a period of 6 months.

2.
Identify which BPSD are associated with as-needed antipsychotic drug use.

Disclosure Statement
Neither the planners nor the authors have any conflicts of interest to disclose.

Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) affect approximately all residents in nursing homes at some point; however, the course of BPSD among this group is not well known. The goal of the current study was to describe the course of each measured BPSD over a period of 6 months. A secondary explorative objective was to identify which BPSD are associated with as-needed (PRN) antipsychotic drug use. This secondary analysis study of 146 nursing home residents was drawn from a prospective, observational, multisite (
N
= 7) cohort study. Results showed that BPSD lasted for an average of 2.3 months, and the BPSD
saying things that do not make sense
had the longest duration, with 3.6 months. PRN antipsychotic drug administration was associated with nocturnal BPSD and requesting help unnecessarily. Within 3 months, most BPSD were resolved by usual care; use of PRN antipsychotic medication was not associated with behaviors that put the residents or their caregivers at risk. [
Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 41
(1), 22–37.]