J Korean Community Nurs.  2000 Dec;11(2):453-469.

A Study on Disturbing Behaviors of Demented Elderly Staying at Home

• Kang YS

Abstract

This study has a purpose to provide information to help develop nursing intervention for demented elderly staying at home. For this purpose I analysed the relationship of patients' disturbing behaviors with their demographic and social characteristics, premorbid personality, and present environmental characteristics through questionnaire survey on their family members. The survey was performed through direct interview, telephone contact. and mail in the regions of Pusan and Gyeongnam. Among family members contacted. 112 ones made an appropriate response to the survey. The statistical package SAS was utilized for descriptive statistics, correlation coefficients, stepwise multiple regression, and cluster analysis. The results of the study were as follows: 1) Demographic and social characteristics of the patients surveyed are female 81.3%, average age 81.4 years, lack of schooling 83.0%, spouse dead 73.2%, having no other disease 58.9%, average duration of dementia 3.8 years, no medical treatment for dementia 84.8%, good married life 40.2%, and primary care given by daughter-in-law 49.1%. 2) Aggressive Psychomotor Behavior(APB) was observed in a way statistically meaningful in case that primary care was given by daughter-in-law, while Nonaggressive Psychomotor Behavior(NPB) was in case of good married life and primary care given by other than daughter-in-law and spouse. Verbally aggressive behavior (VAB) was observed in groups of female, spouse dead, bad married life, and daughter-in-law's primary care. As for Passive Behavior(PB), it was observed in case that patients had educational background of not less high than middle school and that they were having medical treatment. Functionally Impaired Behavior(FIB) was observed in age group of 60-69 and more than 90, in patients' group having no other disease, and in case that the duration of dementia was not less than 5 years. 3) Premobid Neuroticism(N) showed positive correlation with APB and VAB, while Openness (O) did negative correlation with PB. Agreeableness (A) was proved to have positive correlation with PA and FIB, but to have negative correlation with APB and VAB. In addition, Conscientiousness(C) showed negative correlation with APB and VAB. 4) The worse the psychosocial environment was, the more NPB and VAB were observed. 5) APB was explained 24% by C and primary care-giver, while NPB was explained 28% by psychosocial environment, having other disease or not, and married life. VAB was explained 40% by A. sex, and married life. On the other hand PB was explained 33% by O, A. N, and having medical treatment or not. But any significant factor was not found to explain FIB. 6) A cluster analysis was performed on disturbing behaviors of demented elderly staying at home. It enabled to regroup the demented elderly in 5 patterns: high scored in NPB, high scored in FIB. high scored in NPB and VAB, moderately scored in most disturbing behaviors, and low scored in all areas. In conclusion, disturbing behaviors of demented elderly not only reflect their premorbid personality in the past, but also are affected by their present psychosocial environment. Therefore, it is necessary to encourage and respond them with understanding their disturbing behaviors in relation to their past premorbid personality. In addition, it is important to provide them better psychosocial environment in order to reduce their disturbing behaviors.

MeSH Terms

Aged*
Busan
Cluster Analysis
Dementia
Female
Hand
Humans
Interviews as Topic
Nursing
Postal Service
Primary Health Care
Surveys and Questionnaires
Sociology
Spouses