From daily care to expert consensus : state of evidence of nursing interventions and their prioritization according to the clinical profiles of older people hospitalized due to behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia

The description of the different profiles of somatic, psychiatric and socio-relational comorbidites of psychogeriatric inpatient hospitalized due to behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia and their associated nursing interventions are poorly documented. This study aimed to describe the observations and interventions given to patients from the four LPCI clinical profiles and to reach a consensus of experts on relevant interventions per profile. A content analysis was conducted on computerized nursing notes of 40 patients. By combining individual and collective production phase, the TRIAGE method allowed reaching an expert consensus on relevant interventions. The results showed that the current practices are generally similar for all patients while appropriate interventions from the expert consensus varied depending on the profile. Also, some problems remain poorly invested, such as screening, assessment and treatment of depressive symptoms and the maintenance of functional autonomy. Since most interventions have been tested in long-term institutions, the development of studies to test interventions tailored to acute psychogeriatric environment and the implementation of evidence-based practices are needed.