Preventing aggression and other secondary features of dementia in elderly persons: Three case studies.

Dementia and Alzheimer's disease are associated with behavioral symptoms that can be costly and troublesome to caregivers. Behavioral strategies to prevent aggression in people with dementia (PWDs) are necessary to decrease caregiver burden and relieve other behavioral disturbances in PWDs, such as depression. On the basis of their previous study that identified pain as a possible cause of aggression, the authors developed a behavioral in-home intervention designed to teach caregiver(s) how to recognize signs of pain and distress in PWDs. The authors present a description of the Preventing Aggression in Veterans with Dementia (PAVeD) intervention and illustrate its use and results with three case studies. Results indicate that this intervention may help prevent the development of aggression and pain in PWDs, reduce caregiver burden, and help manage other behavioral symptoms associated with dementia.