Long-Term Care Survey Alert

Published on Wed May 22, 2013 PDF

Take a cue from CMS’s surveyor training—and troubleshoot dementia-related behavior problems from a person-centered perspective.  In a recent surveyor training video, the agency features a case study that providers will do well to keep in mind.

Problem: The story focuses on a new nursing home resident. He has resided in the facility for just a short time when the staff notices that he becomes distressed and combative every time he hears the elevator bell ring.

Solution: Rather than reach for a prescription for a first-tier intervention, the facility approaches the problem from a person-centered perspective. They interview the family members and find out more about the resident as a person. Soon, a possible cause for the unusual behavior becomes apparent: In his younger years, the resident had been a professional boxer. The sound of the bell? To him, the sound conjured vivid memories of being back in the ring. By identifying this root cause of the behavior, the staff identified an easy, non-pharmacologic intervention. With the help of the maintenance staff, they disabled the elevator bell!