Development of the BPSD Guide

Project Researchers Prof. Henry Brodaty AO, Kim Burns, Ms Ruby Tsang, Dr Ranmalie Jayasinha

Year: January 1, 1970 - June 1, 2012

Partners The Australian Government as represented by the Department of Social Services (DSS); Dementia Behaviour Management Advisory Services (DBMAS)

Program Overview:

This project is part of the BPSD Guide – Development, Dissemination and Evaluation program. The Guide is part of the suite of resources, including apps and companion guides, which can be accessed on the Program Resource Page.

Background to this project:

In 2011 the Commonwealth Department of Social Services (DSS) funded DCRC-ABC to develop the document: Behaviour Management – A Guide to Good Practice: Managing Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD). The aim of this Guide is to support clinicians in their role of assisting residential aged care facility staff, community care staff and family members caring for persons with dementia, who present with BPSD.

 Behaviour Management – A Guide to Good Practice 

The BPSD Guide provides a comprehensive evidence and practice-based  overview of  BPSD management principles with practical strategies and interventions to assist in the  management of behaviours that can present in dementia. Additional considerations for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples and those from a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) background are also included. The empirical evidence contained in the BPSD Guide, in combination with clinical expertise may assist in achieving improved outcomes for people with dementia.

The document has been designed as a set of modules in order to facilitate ease of use and provide behaviour specific information. Each of the behaviour specific modules begins with a key messages page and a two page summary to enable quick reference to the information in the body of the module. The main body of each module provides information relevant to the following aspects:
  • A description of the behaviour or psychological symptom and how it presents in dementia
  • Causes
  • Differential diagnosis
  • Measuring the behaviour or psychological symptom
  • Prevalence
  • Effects on the person with dementia and others living with them or involved in providing care
  • Results from the literature search
  • Management strategies and the quality of the supporting evidence available for specific interventions for the BPSD
  • Psychosocial and environmental interventions
  • Biological interventions
  • Limitations of the evidence presented
  • Conclusions

In order to illustrate the information presented in the specific BPSD modules, each includes an example of a brief clinical scenario encompassing presentation, assessment and strategies/outcomes.