TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2002//
TI  - Agitation and aggressiveness among the elderly population living in nursing or retirement homes in France
JO  - International psychogeriatrics / IPA
A1  - Léger, Jean-Marie
A1  - Moulias, Robert
A1  - Robert, Philippe
A1  - Vellas, Bruno
A1  - Chapuy, Paul-Henri
A1  - Monfort, Jean Claude
A1  - Khoshnood, Babak
A1  - Bouee, Stéphane
A1  - Rebah, Nadjib
A1  - Gerard, Daniel
SP  - 405
EP  - 416
VL  - 14
IS  - 4
N2  - The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiological features of agitation and aggressiveness in elderly individuals living in French nursing and retirement homes in the year 2000. Data were collected on the type, time of onset, and duration of symptoms, medical evaluation and treatment, and medical and psychiatric comorbidities of the elderly patients. The most frequently reported behavior was verbal aggressiveness and the least reported behavior was physical aggressiveness. A triggering factor initiating the symptoms of agitation or aggressiveness was reported in 61% of the cases. In 61% of the study population, there were several morbidities reported as caused by the agitated or aggressive behavior (anorexia, weight loss, dehydration). A specialist was consulted for nearly half of the agitated or aggressive patients. For 55% of the patients, a new medication regimen was started or the administration of previous medications was modified, the most frequently prescribed drugs being antipsychotics. The results of our study and others show that agitation and aggression have a substantial impact on the lives of the elderly population, as well as on the lives of their family members and caretakers.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1041-6102
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -