Quality Statement 13: Appropriate Care Environment

Resources Quality Statements Advisory Committee About

13

Appropriate Care Environment

People living with dementia and symptoms of agitation or aggression whose behavioural symptoms have been successfully treated are transitioned to an appropriate care environment as soon as possible.

Background

Once people living with dementia have been successfully treated for symptoms of agitation or aggression, they should be moved to an appropriate environment that is calm with minimal potentially disturbing stimuli. This helps prevent retriggering of behavioural symptoms related to the physical environment (e.g., overcrowding, lack of privacy, loud noise levels). This also benefits other service users who might experience violence or harm when witnessing the behavioural symptoms of the person with dementia.

What This Quality Statement Means

For Patients

If needed, you should be transferred to an environment that is calm with minimal noise or activity that disturbs you.

For Clinicians

Once a person with dementia’s behavioural symptoms are successfully treated, move the person as soon as possible to an appropriate care environment that is calm, with minimal potentially disturbing stimuli, and that ensures the safety of other service users.

For Health Services

Ensure that there are environments that are calm with minimal potentially disturbing stimuli available in hospitals and long-term care homes to avoid triggering behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.

Quality Indicators

Process Indicator

Percentage of people living with dementia and symptoms of agitation or aggression whose behavioural symptoms have been successfully treated and who are transitioned to the most appropriate environment as soon as possible

Denominator: total number of people living with dementia and symptoms of agitation or aggression whose behavioural symptoms have been successfully treated
Numerator: number of people in the denominator who are transitioned to the most appropriate environment as soon as possible
Data source: local data collection

Structural Indicator

Availability of appropriate environments to which people living with dementia and symptoms of agitation or aggression can be transitioned once their behavioural symptoms have been successfully treated

Data source: local data collection

Definitions Used Within This Quality Statement

Appropriate care environment

This is an environment that prevents the retriggering of behavioural symptoms for the person with dementia by minimizing factors that may contribute to the symptoms.

Evidence to Improve Care