Dementia Care

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64 Australian Journal of Dementia Care October/November 2016 Vol 5 No 5
and facilities involved in this
study had previously
introduced the BPSD Guide
resources into their workplace
and they embraced the
opportunity for the training
workshops. Clearly these
providers have a commitment
to improving staff knowledge
and skills in BPSD
management. In spite of this,
evidence-based practice was
rarely seen as central to
everyday care but rather
something to be implemented
where time permits.
The BPSD Guide and
associated resources can assist
in overcoming KT barriers by
providing access to synthesised
evidence and practice-based
information, including quality
ratings for the evidence
outcomes.
However, unsupported
dissemination of the
information does not change
practice. An awareness of the
potential barriers, and
strategies to assist in
overcoming these, is essential
to the effective implementation
of evidence-based
interventions for better
managing BPSD in residential
and community settings.
Participants’ feedback may
inform other direct care staff
and managers, highlighting
some of the factors that make
change possible, those that
make change difficult and
strategies to help overcome
these challenges. The
combined efforts of
management and researchers
can provide access to a rich
knowledge base to support the
use of evidence-based
strategies which will improve
the quality of dementia care.
More information
• The Behaviour Management – A
Guide to Good Practice:
Managing Behavioural and
Psychological Symptoms of
Dementia (BPSD Guide) and
associated resources, including
a ‘travel size’ version of the
guide, for clinicians, are freely
available on the DCRCs’ new
DementiaKT Hub website at
• A set of 11 posters, based on
the principles in the BPSD
Guide, are also available for use
by health professionals
supporting people with
dementia in Aboriginal
communities in remote areas of
Australia. Details p67.
• Staff training workshops
Is your dementia care team
interested in a BPSD Guide
management staff training
workshop? Email Kim Burns for
more details at
.
* Editor’s note: While AJDC
acknowledges there is ongoing
debate over the use of terms
such as ‘behavioural and
psychological symptoms of
dementia (BPSD)’ and ‘managing
BPSD’ in relation to people with
dementia, our current editorial
policy is to continue publishing
articles that include these terms
when it is clear they are used in
the context of the research or
practice being described and the
author’s intent is to promote
person-centred care. However,
AJDC encourages the use of
terms such as or ‘responsive
behaviour’ or ‘distressed
behaviour’ to underline the
importance of seeing agitation,
calling out, aggression,
wandering and disinhibition
primarily as expressions of need
requiring an individual response
in each case.
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The following authors are part of
the BPSD team (DCRC: ABC, UNSW
Australia), responsible for developing
and implementing the BPSD Guide:
Kim Burns, Research Officer; Dr
Ranmalie Jayasinha, Senior Data
Analyst; and Professor Henry
Brodaty, Director, DCRC: ABC and
Co-director, Centre for Health Brain
Ageing (CHeBA). Associate Professor
Belinda Goodenough was the DCRC
Knowledge Translation Program
Manager at the time of writing.
DCRC SPEC I AL I SSUE : THE B I G P I CTURE I N DEMENT I A RESEARCH